RE: Driven: Lotus Carlton

[carinaman]

NotNormal said:

Here you go

So basically the natural replacement for the humble Cavalier now makes the LC look small in todays over inflated world

Agreed, modern cars have grown so massive. The old 850/V70 wagons look dinky now as do Sierras.

I checked Parker's Car Price Guide, August 2000 issue for the dimensions. It has measurements for the saloon, estate and Lotus Carlton, it says 15' 8'' by 5' 11'' for the Lotus Carlton. The new Focus looks about 9 inches shorter, but the current Mondeo is bigger.

LC? Elsie? It's a Yamaha isn't it?

Edited by carinaman on Thursday 12th May 06:30

Edited by carinaman on Thursday 12th May 07:24

[wildcat45]

Deffo a car of it's time that many won't understand,

I last spotted one in a car park while my wife was shopping.

Had a good long chat to the owner who showed me round it.

My wife returned and waited patiently till I'd finished. She's into cars but could understand why I'd been so interested in some "chavved up old Vauxhall taxi"

I tried to explain,but to the majority with Closed minds it's nothing special. One reason why I love the LC.

[Horatio]

Remember going to Gales of Beccles in Suffolk to do a Dealer Transfer in 1992,
In the middle of all these Cavaliers were 5 Unregistered Lotus Carltons gathering Dust, They just couldn't sell them £48K was a lot of Money for a Vauxhall in 1992...

[Rawwr]

gumsie said:

Rawwr said:

I seem to recall one of the cars mags did a super saloon test some time around 2005 and had the usual stable of things you'd expect; M5, RS6, blah blah blah, but also took along a Lotus Carlton to see how things had moved on. The Carlton wiped the floor with them.

Are you sure? I do remember Autocar did a test with this, a BM of some sort not an M5 (I know this one isn't standard), and an EV12 and one other car. THe Lotus was fantastic but the EV12 monstered the lot of them.

Yeah, but I don't recall an EV12 being in the mix so possibly a different article? I'm sure there's a still an argument to suggest the Carlton is 'better' than even an EV12 based on the reviews of the EV12 which claimed it was an undriveable monster with too much power and not enough finesse

[ukzz4iroc]

nbirch said:

but the last line "like a shark in a municipal pool" is right on the money.

Absolutely loved this analogy, couldn't agree more.

[VerySideways]

I remember the article with the EV12. In fact i probably still have it somewhere...

E39 BMW M5, E39 Alpina B10, Lotus Carlton and W210 Brabus EV12.
M5 was quick, B10 was slightly quicker (no limiter), Lotus Carlton was much quicker but EV12 wiped the floor. Limited to 206mph because of the tyres (custom made Michelins).

[VerySideways]

Can't find my copy, but if anyone has Autocar from 5th July 2000 you'll find it there:
M5, B10, LC, EV12, and Holden GTS-R

[UnluckyTimmeh]

George H said:

They only sold them in British Racing Green.

Not quite right....

jas xjr said:

It was a special paintjob that looked black or very dark green iirc. Only ever saw one on the road and that was an unmarked police car

It was called Emerald Green. It looks basically black until you get it under the right light, then you can see the green metallic.

Gorgeous colour

Even with my nerdy Lotus parts advisor hat on, i still can't remember the paint code.

[GKP]

UnluckyTimmeh said:

It was called Emerald Green. It looks basically black until you get it under the right light, then you can see the green metallic.

Gorgeous colour

Even with my nerdy Lotus parts advisor hat on, i still can't remember the paint code.

Imperial Green on the Carlton. Empire Green on other cars. ICI paint code E355, Lotus Dupont paint code B16.

[Biker's Nemesis]

carinaman said:

LC? Elsie? It's a Yamaha isn't it?

[Harji]

PascalBuyens said:

3000 GSI's were made to resemble the Carlton/omega.

The real Lotus was sold in "Imperial Green" only.

You may be right, it was over 12 years ago, and I do remember seeing a Lotus Carlton, but probably not red. And to confuse it all, during my time there I owned a red Sierra and a Maroon Saab 900, I'm only 41 and it's all going wrong up there already!

[Rude-boy]

Horatio said:

Remember going to Gales of Beccles in Suffolk to do a Dealer Transfer in 1992,
In the middle of all these Cavaliers were 5 Unregistered Lotus Carltons gathering Dust, They just couldn't sell them £48K was a lot of Money for a Vauxhall in 1992...

Now under new ownership they had one a few years back on SOR for a few months.

I knew a guy who had one when they were new and iirc even then a clutch was over £1k.

I got as far as a good look around it but it was up for strong money and that with the fear of spending every spare penny on keeping it running and almost every spare and consumable part being made of unobtainium stopped me taking it any further.

Epic car and one that only those who know realise how special it is, just the way it should be with a car like this.

[Schermerhorn]

jr@ said:

Harji said:

George H said:

They only sold them in British Racing Green.

There was a red one, or maroon. Maybe a respray job, but definatly a shade of red..or maroon.

of the 950 production cars i belive they were all imperial green, the first prototype was certainly silver, but i belive it was a carlton fronted senator anyway

I've definately seen a red one in Northern Ireland. Could have been a respray job.

[NotNormal]

Schermerhorn said:

I've definately seen a red one in Northern Ireland. Could have been a respray job.

Or a replica......

[sinbaddio]

infradig said:

1991, 5am on a damp November morning,overpaid yuppie in his new company Lexus LS400 has just come off the M1 onto a deserted M45 and decides to see exactly how fast it is,160 on the clock and the limiter still hadn't cut in . There's a dark coloured saloon in the distance cruising along at about 80 and our hero backs off a little,just in case. About 1/4 of a mile off he notices the trade plate hanging out of the boot so nails it again at about 130,as he gets alongside the Imperial Green Vauxhall,it just fks off. The Lexus gets back up to an indicated 155/160 but the Carlton was long gone.
Of course in the NEC hotel bar that night the story was skewed in favour of the V8 Crown but I bet that delivery driver had a good laugh at m... I mean the obnoxious yuppie's expense.

Very funny story

[soad]

denniswise9 said:

Beast of a car. I love how understated it is.

True. Me too

[braddo]

soad said:

denniswise9 said:

Beast of a car. I love how understated it is.

True. Me too

I think that's a sign of how times have changed too - my recollection is it was considered pretty outrageous looking with its flared arches, huge wide wheels and spoilers (and the fact it was a big car in among the Astras, Cavaliers etc of the time).

[456lbft]

B'stard Child said:

IMMIC The Director of Lucas had one resprayed in silver either before he picked it up as he (or maybe his wife) couldn' tolerate a green car - it appears every so often on ebay - the under bonnet area is still all green and probably a few other areas under close inspection

Been some very good replicas I've seen over the years some very very convincing in the original colour or even in alternative ones

The commonly quoted "white" one



Has a story to tell



Only a true petrol head would build one from the ground up using a base carlton shell and add a roof with no sunroof - full cage to Nascar spec and 120 L fuel cell where the back seats would be to then ship it over to the USA for a ninety mile road race and show them it doesn't have to be big block V8 muscle car - just total class IMHO

I keep nudging him to tell the story on here - maybe one day he will

That's my car.

[Mr Gearchange]

I love these. So often cars of that vintage are a case of "never meet your hero's" but this would appear to be one of the exceptions.

I was 14 when these came out and devoured every bit of information that I could on them - there was a guy who had one in the next village - we used to ride our bikes over there to just stare at it sat on his drive..

And it still looks good today - mean, brooding, purposeful. I mean look at it compared to the utter dogs breakfast that is the VXR8



There used to be tales of a gang in the midlands who nicked one and used to use it as a getaway car - their MO apparently was ram raid Dixons with a transit then load up the LC and give it the beans. The tale was apparently that it outran the West Midlands Police Helicopter up the M6. I'm pretty sure it was an apocraphal tale - and urban legend - but when you were 15 you soooooooo wanted to believe it.

Mind you - when it came to having the legs on the old bill they were certainly no slouch....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yptiCYBSZo

[Robatr0n]

VerySideways said:

Can't find my copy, but if anyone has Autocar from 5th July 2000 you'll find it there:
M5, B10, LC, EV12, and Holden GTS-R

I'd love to have a read of that, sounds great.