1989 Vauxhall Carlton 3.0 GSi 3000 4dr Saloon

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Very nice
 
As a former owner of a Lotus Carlton many many moons ago, I do have a soft spot for these.
 
As a former owner of a Lotus Carlton many many moons ago, I do have a soft spot for these.

Now that is a car i'd like to own!! Classic Car Weekly says it's the best time to buy one as they're dropping in price (not that i could afford one at 15k!).
 
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I do love a Carlton can't beat the 80's special interiors of grey with red piping :)


I would love a lotus Carlton have seen 2 in the last 6 months but unfortunately both of them were broken down at the side of the road !
 
i too had a soft soft for these underated cars!:(
 
Wifes uncle is a real Lotus fanatic and sold his beautiful Lotus Carlton last year. I drove it and the thing was epic.

You needed legs like Arnie to push the clutch in and the gearchange required timing. The thing was so fast it was ridiculous, but they are now incredibly expensive to keep on the road with many parts either silly money or not available.

The GSI is real retro cool!
 
Appreciate that they have cult status , but looking at the stats , is it any faster than a CLK55 for example in the real world ?

The 55 clk has a bit less power but more torque , lots more torque.

Even my 430 has about the same amount of torque as the LC.
 
Appreciate that they have cult status , but looking at the stats , is it any faster than a CLK55 for example in the real world ?

The 55 clk has a bit less power but more torque , lots more torque.

Even my 430 has about the same amount of torque as the LC.

True enough, but, our Golf MK6 TDi has more power and torque than a MK2 16V Golf, I know which is more fun to drive, it's not all about the stats.

Blimey, a Lotus Carlton has around 420lb/ft, what does a CLK 430 have out of interest (seeking a stat)
 
Blimey, a Lotus Carlton has around 420lb/ft, what does a CLK 430 have out of interest (seeking a stat)

According to the figures I have here (208 chassis)

430 - 280hp, 300lbft
55 - 347hp, 370lbft

Not sure where Howard's getting his figures from :dk:
 
hi,
Really loved the Carlton, nearly bought a 24V one several times, really wish i had now, one of my regrets.
Though not always a reliable source of info (C43 figures are wrong as they are quoting US spec car), here what Wikipedia says about the M113 V8, which the CLK 430 and 55 amg have fitted.
Mercedes-Benz M113 engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Lovely car. A mate of mine had a 3.0 senator which was a dream to drive.

I once was in the market for either a Senator or Carlton around 10 years ago - ended up with a 2.0GL Carlton which wasn't my preferred choice - but was cheap.

It was like driving an armchair.

Rumour has it that the police bought up a lot of Senators before they dropped it as they were one of the favourites. Not sure how true that is mind.
 
According to the figures I have here (208 chassis)

430 - 280hp, 300lbft
55 - 347hp, 370lbft

Not sure where Howard's getting his figures from :dk:

From the CLK User manual :)

In the link to one for sale a few posts back , it states that the LC has 410nm , a CLK 430 has 400 nm , and a 55 has 500+nm :)

Here is the link

Lotus : 1993 Lotus Carlton

EDIT :-

Just checked the specs and the ad is wrong , and hence so am i . The LC has 570 nm , not 420 nm.
 
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According to this site the Lotus Carlton has 419 lbs/ft Of torque which equates to about 565 nm.

LINK
 
I've got LC #75 parked outside, only 38k on the clock. Still a very fast car, Autocar tested it back in the day at 4.8 to 60, 10.5 to 100 which is modern M5/AMG55 territory.

If I had space I'd buy this 3000 for spares :)
 

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