RE: PH Heroes: Lotus Carlton

[B'stard Child]

Utopia said:

BTW, did the LC owner who has the car in the garage managed to find any good newer pics of their car please?

Not on my hard drive but when I pull it out I'll take some if you still need them then

[Shropshiremike]

Shropshiremike said:

Shropshiremike said:

NotNormal said:

Here's a copy of the performance figs recorded by Performance Car back when the car was released

- http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/Mikeshrops/...

Still pretty impressive when you consider thats with 2 people and a full 75litre tank of juice

The whole Performance Car article is here if you want to read more than just the performance figures

I might dig out the CAR and Fast Lane ones as well later

What'll She Do Mister?

Also have got an interesting article from Autocar where they had the Heritage LC, an M5, Alpina B10, Holden GTS-R and a Brabus EV12 all out on the German autobahns together

[B'stard Child]

damiwi said:

I read somewhere that the car actually became less economical because you had to use more throttle to keep the car at motorway speeds. The gearing really was that bad.

Never believe all you read - with 98 Ron fuel it will cruise happily in 6th and return over 30 mpg - 95 Ron fuel it would need to be 80 mpg to cruise happily and return close to 30 mpg

Putting your foot to the floor at 70 mph in 6th to gain a few mph would result in poor economy it doesn't need that sort of treatment - just a light press and it will gather speed in 6th - it's not earth shattering acceleration but it's enough....

Me if I need to quickly gain speed at less tha 100 mph when in 6th I either drop to 5th, 4th or 3rd

3rd is the "party Trick" but to be honest it doesn't really make much difference what gear you pick

[Shropshiremike]

B'stard Child said:

Me if I need to quickly gain speed at less tha 100 mph when in 6th I either drop to 5th, 4th or 3rd

3rd is the "party Trick" but to be honest it doesn't really make much difference what gear you pick

According to the Autocar article the engine "comes alive after 110mph"

[B'stard Child]

Transmitter Man said:

Ian,

If the box was taken from the Corvette at the time surely one could find a different gear set from one of the US trans specialists to bring that 6th cog into better service like Mr Sweden?

There again, I do know a gear cutter.

Phil

I've honestly never found 6th to be an issue - I don't think lowering the gearing would increase the top speed unless 6th was maybe just a smidge higher than 5th and then it sems little point having it

I "think" lotus tweaked the rev limit on a car when it ran round the Nardo Bowl in testing and they saw a higher top speed but as I said I think that was in testing

I like the fact that at motorway speeds you can drop it in 6th and with the revs low it will "sniff" petrol instead of "slurp" relatively speaking

Transmitter Man said:

What part of the UK does your competition LC man live as it would be great to see him among some exotica at a Peter Saywell sponsored private trackday at Goodwood later in the year.

I'm sure his LC would whip the a$$ off of some of the cars.

Phil
79 De Tomaso Longchamp GTS

Joe runs BTB Exhausts and I'm sure he would be interested in anything like that - feel free to contact him direct

http://www.btbexhausts.co.uk/

[B'stard Child]

Shropshiremike said:

B'stard Child said:

Me if I need to quickly gain speed at less tha 100 mph when in 6th I either drop to 5th, 4th or 3rd

3rd is the "party Trick" but to be honest it doesn't really make much difference what gear you pick

According to the Autocar article the engine "comes alive after 110mph"

If by that they mean that when most cars "stop accelerating and just gather speed" and it doesn't feel that way in the Lotus Carlton they'd be right

I'll ignore the lower gears and concentrate on speed around 100 and in gear acceleration

4th

90-110 4.2 secs
100-120 4.6 secs
110-130 5.9 secs

5th

90-110 6.0 secs
100-120 6.6 sec

[Shropshiremike]

B'stard Child said:

Shropshiremike said:

B'stard Child said:

Me if I need to quickly gain speed at less tha 100 mph when in 6th I either drop to 5th, 4th or 3rd

3rd is the "party Trick" but to be honest it doesn't really make much difference what gear you pick

According to the Autocar article the engine "comes alive after 110mph"

If by that they mean that when most cars "stop accelerating and just gather speed" and it doesn't feel that way in the Lotus Carlton they'd be right

I'll ignore the lower gears and concentrate on speed around 100 and in gear acceleration

4th

90-110 4.2 secs
100-120 4.6 secs
110-130 5.9 secs

5th

90-110 6.0 secs
100-120 6.6 sec

I'd stick the Autocar article up but it gave the E39 M5 they had along a bit of a beating......so it's probably better left...

[Justayellowbadge]

damiwi said:

The LC was a fast car in its day but I'm betting a modern fast hot hatch is probably more stable and feels safer at 155mph, although that's another argument for another thread no doubt.

I seriously doubt that. The tiny handful of hot hatches currently capable of anywhere near speed would be being ragged to the limit to achieve it. I can't think of a single hot hatch that is limited to 155.

[B'stard Child]

Shropshiremike said:

I'd stick the Autocar article up but it gave the E39 M5 they had along a bit of a beating......so it's probably better left...

I've resisted putting scans of my 30 plus Magazine articles up for copywrite reasons except the one that I was actualy involved in Lotus Carlton v Lancia Thema 8.32

As for the E39 M5 lets not go there again when we've just managed to get this thread back on track

[B'stard Child]

Justayellowbadge said:

damiwi said:

The LC was a fast car in its day but I'm betting a modern fast hot hatch is probably more stable and feels safer at 155mph, although that's another argument for another thread no doubt.

I seriously doubt that. The tiny handful of hot hatches currently capable of anywhere near speed would be being ragged to the limit to achieve it. I can't think of a single hot hatch that is limited to 155.

I thought we'd Got Damiwi talking in a sensible way about the car - don't kick it all off again

As you say it's a daft comment and I ignored it because it's daft and whilst I will agree that modern hot hatches can be amazing cars they "Lotus" spent a lot of time testing an developing the car to be safe and stable at all speeds right up to it's maximum and I can only say they did a damn fine job cos it feels totally planted on the road - which is a good thing because at those speeds you have no driver aids to "help"

Edited by B'stard Child on Sunday 10th February 11:02

[B'stard Child]

Few more pics needed I think from a charity trackday last year



















Very few owners of LC's that I know keep them tucked up in a garage for dry sunny day use and never drive them as they were intended to be driven

Edited by B'stard Child on Sunday 10th February 11:20

[B'stard Child]

Forgot I had these pics of JE's LC - Utopia is this the sort of shots you need of a normal colour LC

Edited by B'stard Child on Sunday 10th February 11:26

[Justayellowbadge]

B'stard Child said:

I've resisted putting scans of my 30 plus Magazine articles up for copywrite reasons except the one that I was actualy involved in Lotus Carlton v Lancia Thema 8.32

Out of interest, BC, have you been approached regarding a reprise of that test?

[B'stard Child]

Justayellowbadge said:

B'stard Child said:

I've resisted putting scans of my 30 plus Magazine articles up for copywrite reasons except the one that I was actualy involved in Lotus Carlton v Lancia Thema 8.32

Out of interest, BC, have you been approached regarding a reprise of that test?

No I haven't been approached - but I understand several Autobahnstormers members have been contacted with a view to repeating that test and hopefully a car that hasn't ever been featured in a Magazine will get used

It's a nice "subject" for a comparison - in terms of design concept for the two cars - but a huge miss match performance wise IMHO and not wanting to upset any Thema 8.32 owners (having been involved with the last time the two cars were together)

It will make good copy I'm sure - I remember turning up at Bruntingthorpe and the enthusiast with the Lancia who wasn't sure what a Lotus Carlton was asking what the bhp, torque and top speed were on the LC we turned up in - 377, 417 and 180 mph we said - he admitted straight from the off that his Lancia wasn't even going to get close based on the stats..... it didn't either but it was a nice day out and Bruntingthorpe runway is just about long enough to get 170mph plus out of an LC provided you use the bend at the start of the runway slingshot the car down the straight

[Justayellowbadge]

B'stard Child said:

Justayellowbadge said:

B'stard Child said:

I've resisted putting scans of my 30 plus Magazine articles up for copywrite reasons except the one that I was actualy involved in Lotus Carlton v Lancia Thema 8.32

Out of interest, BC, have you been approached regarding a reprise of that test?

No I haven't been approached - but I understand several Autobahnstormers members have been contacted with a view to repeating that test and hopefully a car that hasn't ever been featured in a Magazine will get used

It's a nice "subject" for a comparison - in terms of design concept for the two cars - but a huge miss match performance wise IMHO and not wanting to upset any Thema 8.32 owners (having been involved with the last time the two cars were together)

It will make good copy I'm sure - I remember turning up at Bruntingthorpe and the enthusiast with the Lancia who wasn't sure what a Lotus Carlton was asking what the bhp, torque and top speed were on the LC we turned up in - 377, 417 and 180 mph we said - he admitted straight from the off that his Lancia wasn't even going to get close based on the stats..... it didn't either but it was a nice day out and Bruntingthorpe runway is just about long enough to get 170mph plus out of an LC provided you use the bend at the start of the runway slingshot the car down the straight

Oh, I quite agree. Similar concept, but entirely different cars. Out and out performance wise, I'd get mullered. The cars were built to do different jobs, methinks.

[B'stard Child]

Justayellowbadge said:

Oh, I quite agree. Similar concept, but entirely different cars. Out and out performance wise, I'd get mullered. The cars were built to do different jobs, methinks.

I got a ride in the Lancia round Bruntingthorpe and I like it - the interior was wonderfull and the noise from the engine was fantastic.....

I always thought the car was a bit of sleeper - I reckon it would surprise the odd modern car owner out if they didn't have a clue what it was

[Rabid-Dog]

The Council Estate Supercar is what they used to call it.

[damiwi]

Justayellowbadge said:

damiwi said:

The LC was a fast car in its day but I'm betting a modern fast hot hatch is probably more stable and feels safer at 155mph, although that's another argument for another thread no doubt.

I seriously doubt that. The tiny handful of hot hatches currently capable of anywhere near speed would be being ragged to the limit to achieve it. I can't think of a single hot hatch that is limited to 155.

R32 Golf is limited to 155mph, I've just bought one and it exceeds my expectations as an all round package. I'm taking it to APS next month for a stage 3 tune, which will hopefully provide an extra 50 bhp. I prefer it to both my M3 and Fq-360 MR, although it's not as fast, it handles brilliantly and has all the creature comforts that my M5 had, it's a very nice place to be... sometimes it's how a car makes you feel. A really odd thing happened too, a girl I met asked me if I could take her out into the countryside so that she could lie on the bonnet and have a photograph taken... I said so long as you don't scratch the bonnet (as a petrol head would) and she said, I won't because I won't be wearing any clothes... wow is that the usual R32 effect???

[damiwi]

B'stard Child said:

Justayellowbadge said:

damiwi said:

The LC was a fast car in its day but I'm betting a modern fast hot hatch is probably more stable and feels safer at 155mph, although that's another argument for another thread no doubt.

I seriously doubt that. The tiny handful of hot hatches currently capable of anywhere near speed would be being ragged to the limit to achieve it. I can't think of a single hot hatch that is limited to 155.

I thought we'd Got Damiwi talking in a sensible way about the car - don't kick it all off again

As you say it's a daft comment and I ignored it because it's daft and whilst I will agree that modern hot hatches can be amazing cars they "Lotus" spent a lot of time testing an developing the car to be safe and stable at all speeds right up to it's maximum and I can only say they did a damn fine job cos it feels totally planted on the road - which is a good thing because at those speeds you have no driver aids to "help"

Edited by B'stard Child on Sunday 10th February 11:02

Come on be fair, I did say it was an argument for another thread and I based my comment on how my R32 drives. If you want to debate it here fine but don't say it's a daft comment and then not expect a retort. The reason I say that is because the R32 has a very low centre of gravity, is heavy compared to a GTi and is very slippery aerodynamically and also the ride is brilliant. The car just feels glued to the road and fuss free.

But let's leave it down to our subjective views.

[Justayellowbadge]

O/T but any girl who would get naked due to a Golf would just make me feel guilty and dirty.

But enjoy.