Manufactured years 1990-1992

The Lotus Carlton (also called Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, Lotus Omega and Opel Lotus Omega) is a Vauxhall Carlton/Opel Omega saloon upgraded by Lotus in order to be able to reach speeds up to 285 km/h (177 mph) with acceleration to equal contemporary sports cars. The exterior changes were minimal with the addition of a rear spoiler, cooling vents on the bonnet, Lotus badges on the front wings and bootlid, a bodykit and considerably wider wheel arches distinguishing it from a standard Carlton. The car was only sold in one colour, a shade of green called Imperial Green (similar to British Racing Green).

An upgraded engine was enhanced by Lotus from the standard Opel 3.0 L (2,969 cc) 24v straight six unit. The engine was enlarged to a capacity of 3,615 cc (3.6 L) and Lotus added two Garrett T25 turbochargers, which provide up to 0.7 bar (10 psi) of boost from about 1,500 rpm. Power was rated at 281kW (377Hp). The same ZF 6-speed manual transmission as fitted to a contemporary Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 was used to transfer power output to the rear wheels via a rear limited-slip differential shared with the V8 Holden Commodore.

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