RE: Driven: Lotus Carlton

[omgus]

456lbft said:

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.

In that case what is the story?

[456lbft]

Mr Gearchange said:

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

That was largely true. The car was stolen from someone I know and was eventually found dumped in a canal.

[Ddouble]

CamoThong said:

There is one in reading, used as a daily! Used to see it everyday!

Theres 2 that i see in Reading quite often, both seem to be used regularly, both on private plates.

One of the owners works in the office block next to me, never crossed paths with him, but often admired the car!

[LC926]

Ddouble said:

Theres 2 that i see in Reading quite often, both seem to be used regularly, both on private plates.

One of the owners works in the office block next to me, never crossed paths with him, but often admired the car!

I know the owner of that car...will let him know he's been spotted. He also drives a Senator as his daily.

[Mr Gearchange]

456lbft said:

Mr Gearchange said:

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

That was largely true. The car was stolen from someone I know and was eventually found dumped in a canal.

Very sad that someone:
A) Had their P&J stolen
B) It met it's demise in a canal.

But I do love that fact that it was a true story, and there was a bunch of crooks who could outrun EVERYTHING the police had. Thats ace - over the years I have come to assume it was a fabrication.
If you have any more details on that I'd love to hear them.

[456lbft]

omgus said:

In that case what is the story?

Ancient history now, but yes I did build it for the www.silverstateclassic.com
in which I competeted twice during 2000/2001 before shipping the car back again. The car never missed a beat, averaging 163mph over 90miles and I would've liked to go back to go a bit quicker, but I got married and started a family instead...

[wobert]

ukzz4iroc said:

Awesome write up. My bro worked for Lotus in circa '91 and took me out in one of these. What a stonking car.

The fact that I loved was that the Lotus engine would develop the same torque at tick-over as the 3ltr 24 valve engine it was based on could at peak rpm.

I worked at Lotus from '91 til late '95 doing base engine design - I had several rides out in the "Omega" as it was known (it sold as the Lotus Omega in Europe), the best being with the Chief Chassis Engineer who was responsible for the suspension set-up.

[p1doc]

i remember racing one way back in 92 in my 1.2 nova supa ,i came alongside revving my little car and the driver turned smiled and then shot off at full acceleration lol
rumours were the police used the engine in the senator as a pursuit car!
martin

[NotNormal]

456lbft said:

Ancient history now, but yes I did build it for the www.silverstateclassic.com
in which I competeted twice during 2000/2001 before shipping the car back again. The car never missed a beat, averaging 163mph over 90miles and I would've liked to go back to go a bit quicker, but I got married and started a family instead...

From what I can make out the class you were in (after looking at the website) was to try and hit an average of 160mph over the distance but alas going quicker shows you as third. From what you experienced could you have gone for a higher speed class or did you or the car not feel that would have been possible?

Can imagine it certainly must have been a buzz

[456lbft]

Mr Gearchange said:

Very sad that someone:
A) Had their P&J stolen
B) It met it's demise in a canal.

But I do love that fact that it was a true story, and there was a bunch of crooks who could outrun EVERYTHING the police had. Thats ace - over the years I have come to assume it was a fabrication.
If you have any more details on that I'd love to hear them.

The thieves stole his car by towing it away from the owners house where they got it started, when he gave chase in his wife's car they rammed him with the tow van, he gave up the chase at that point as re realised he only had a very short dressing gown on!
When his car was recovered, production of the Lotus Carlton had long since ceased, but having failed to find a suitable other marque replacement he tracked down a low mileage Lotus Carlton, which he ran for a few more years.

[jcelee]

Good friend of mine had one alongside BMW E34 & E39 M5s and at one stage a Ferrari 348.
I never went out in it (which may have changed my opinions) but somehow the handbuilt E34 M5 seemed most special of all.

Duncan, if you're about, I hope you are well, send me a message.

Jon

[UnluckyTimmeh]

GKP said:

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

D'oh, that the one. Ahhh, B16. There we go

[Terminator X]

Mr Gearchange said:

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

FPMSL the Lotus is just gone even though Plod are doing 120mph!

TX.

[pSyCoSiS]

One of my all time favourite cars.

True legend.

Love it's hunched looks, flared arches and in your face front end.

One of the best Q-cars ever.

Yes - Imperial Green was the only colour officially available for the LC.

I do remember seeing a few Lotus Omegas in Silver, but no other colours.

This Imperial Green is the best colour for the car.

[Dagnut]

Terminator X said:

Mr Gearchange said:

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

FPMSL the Lotus is just gone even though Plod are doing 120mph!

TX.

That would be KMPH

[Zad]

Dagnut said:

Terminator X said:

Mr Gearchange said:

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

FPMSL the Lotus is just gone even though Plod are doing 120mph!

TX.

That would be KMPH

Yes, 200kmh = 120mph. Not exactly a "hot" traffic car.

[Mr Gearchange]

That said the rozzers are peaking at around 207KMPH and the LC is absolutely nowhere to be seen.
It doesn't matter what they were in - they weren't going to catch him.

The speed at which he dissapears is resolutely impressive - KMPH or not.

[gumsie]

Rawwr said:

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

I've since been corrected, "The Autocar test you're on about featured the LC, EV12, Alpina B10, M5 and Holden GTS-R".

[B'stard Child]

456lbft said:

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.

I know Joe - treat this as another nudge

Edited to add - well I've seen the bit you wrote later - that's not a story.......

Think of it as a father relaying an epic tale to his children hoping that they'll carry on and pass it down thro generations......

You didn't buy it - you built it from ground up and I know it wasn't done in 5 mins

You didn't run it round a track in the UK once it was done instead you shipped it half way round the world to compete in a race that was dominate by american muscle and then you left it there so you could have another go!!!!

Now tell the story

Ian M

Edited by B'stard Child on Thursday 12th May 16:48

[Eclat V8]

braddo said:

Big Rod said:

300bhp/ton said:

Why does every Lotus Carlton and every Monaro/VXR8 article always somehow compare the two?

Apart from the badge they have nothing in common, not where they are made, who they are made by, construction, approach or heritage.

Actually 300', AFAIK the Monaro and VXR8 are evolutions of the Holden Conmmodore lineage which in turn are very similar to the Carltons/Senators/Monzas/Omegas that we all know and love.

Yep, same basic platforms, just the Commodores were wider (with local engines and revised front/rear styling).

Here's the late 80s Commodore that corresponded to the Carlton:

the do kind of look quite similar....
my HSV SV5000 often gets mistaken for a Lotus Carlton. Under the skin they are totally different and the commodore is quite agricultural in its suspension design.