RE: SOTW: Vauxhall Omega 3.0 MV6
Discussion
Your meant to use the same car make for ringing?jbi said:
A shame the car failed in the USA... but it really was too small and underpowered to be considered a true Cadillac.
That's the popular perception but it isn't the reality. In fact, the Catera was more successful than most people realise.The Catera was a bit of an experiment to see if a smaller, sportier Cadillac could gain traction in the North American marketplace. Seeing as how Cadillac's traditional customer base was dying off in droves, Caddy either had to adapt to a changing world or be consigned to the scrapheap of history.
Anyway, the Catera served as a template for the future direction of Cadillac. Without the Catera, the wildly successful CTS (Catera Touring Sedan) would never have existed. Unfortunately, the Catera often gets written off as a failure because the name didn't survive into a second generation. The thing is, the CTS was intended to be called Catera until Cadillac decided to go all alphabet soup on us. Some internal components in the MK I CTS were stamped "CATERA".
As it stood, the Catera was never intended to be a high volume model. Importing the car from Germany wouldn't have been practical or cost-effective if it were. It was a temporary place holder which served it's purpose until Cadillac could properly develop it's own rear-drive BMW fighter. Early CTSs even used a slightly enlarged version of the Ellesmere Port built V6 engine (the 3.2, same as in the later Omegas) that was used in the Catera.
Today's CTS and the newly launched ATS (SHOCK: an even SMALLER Cadillac!) owe their existance to the Catera/Omega. Failure? I don't think so.
jbi said:
Perhaps it was slightly ahead of it's time then?
I know then engine was a big sticking point as the 3.0 struggled with the extra weight of the catera due to US crash safety laws and got relatively poor fuel economy.
They weren't that great in Europe either though.I know then engine was a big sticking point as the 3.0 struggled with the extra weight of the catera due to US crash safety laws and got relatively poor fuel economy.
I remember thinking there was something wrong with my 3.2 MV6 when it only turned in 27 mpg as opposed to the 39 the 'breathed on' Senator it replaced would do if I was kind to it.
MadmanO/T People said:
I bought one of these here in States just last year. It's a 2001 Cadillac Catera 3.0 V6. The Cateras were built on the same Russelsheim production line as their Opel/Vauxhall Omega brethren. It had 116,000 miles when I bought it last summer and I'm up to 123,000 now. I love the Bose stereo in this car. Bargain barge, indeed!
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Do you ever get any "What's a Vauxhall?" comments?.
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It seems logical to me for GM to have offered it with a range of engines already commonly found in the USA.
I know they even built a factory fitted LS1 demonstrator as the engine bay had plenty of room for options.
Perhaps GM didn't want to invest too much in a platform which they were taking a chance with.
I know they even built a factory fitted LS1 demonstrator as the engine bay had plenty of room for options.
Perhaps GM didn't want to invest too much in a platform which they were taking a chance with.
B'stard Child said:
MadmanO/T People said:
CDP said:
Do you ever get any "What's a Vauxhall?" comments?
A lady at a petrol station asked me "What kind of car is that?" That's all I've had so far.
Someone on here has my mum and dad's old car, it's a blue 2.6 CD, numberplate contains JVC or VCD or something along those lines (been a few years). I keep seeing it around the Harpenden area.
On the lookout for a budget comfy auto for trundling to work and back, and i'm finding it hard to find any reason not to get one..
On the lookout for a budget comfy auto for trundling to work and back, and i'm finding it hard to find any reason not to get one..
Hudson said:
On the lookout for a budget comfy auto for trundling to work and back, and i'm finding it hard to find any reason not to get one..
If I had space on my drive, I couldn't find a reason not to have this...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-Vauxhall-Omega-2-6i...
Unless you're bothered about MPG, don't buy anything under a 2.6.
(Although the 2.5 diseasels can be tweaked up to about 170 BHP apparently)
The 3.2 MV6 is the one to go for. I had an estate one and I wish I'd never parted company with it...
CDP said:
B'stard Child said:
MadmanO/T People said:
CDP said:
Do you ever get any "What's a Vauxhall?" comments?
A lady at a petrol station asked me "What kind of car is that?" That's all I've had so far.BTW, I've just ditched the Cadillac/Vauxhall and have a B5.5 Passat estate now. I've posted the new one in the Reader's Cars section.
CDP said:
B'stard Child said:
MadmanO/T People said:
CDP said:
Do you ever get any "What's a Vauxhall?" comments?
A lady at a petrol station asked me "What kind of car is that?" That's all I've had so far.BTW, I've just ditched the Cadillac/Vauxhall and have a B5.5 Passat estate now. I've posted the new one in the Reader's Cars section.
This is my Dad's old car! He brought it ex-demo from a Vauxhall dealer back in 1999 and sold it a few years later - he has regretted it ever since.
I've been trawling the internet to find it (or one of the same spec etc) for years in the hope I could buy it back for him.
I don't hold out much hope as it doesn't appear to have been taxed/MOT'd since 2013. Just wish I had seen this thread when it was last for sale, I'd have snapped it up!
I've been trawling the internet to find it (or one of the same spec etc) for years in the hope I could buy it back for him.
I don't hold out much hope as it doesn't appear to have been taxed/MOT'd since 2013. Just wish I had seen this thread when it was last for sale, I'd have snapped it up!
CampDavid said:
piggy ones got a 5 speed manual with an LSD, a winner
Always felt they missed a trick not doing an “interceptor” pack for the public. Good cars which would go sideways happily with a bit of a lift off and a big boot…The lotus Carlton was a beautifully brutal thing that should have had at least an angry body-kitted SRi equivalent Omega V6 offspring.
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