Vauxhall Lotus Carlton - Web Exclusive

The 176mph Lotus Carlton super-saloon has been voted the UK's favorite Vauxhall in a poll of 630 owners ran by the website vauxhalldriverscentre.co.uk.

Ok, the US didn't get the Lotus Carlton and that sucked. We can only guess the Brits thought the Yanks couldn't handle the twin-turbocharged, 377bhp engine and 176 mph top speed. As it turned out, the Lotus Carlton became the ultimate "bad boy" car, a ride favored by underworld mobsters and those wishing speedy departures from banks.

In any case, the results - which also included votes for the favorite Vauxhall from the last five years - were gathered over a single month and put the Lotus Carlton in first place ahead of the Calibra and Cavalier.


The Lotus Carlton was a technical tour de force for Vauxhall and garnered immense press respect for its power, performance and dynamics. Officially, the fastest four-door production car in the world when it was launched in 1989, the Lotus Carlton's twin-turbocharged, 377bhp engine powered the car from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and all the way to 176mph.

Running second overall to the Lotus Carlton as favorite Vauxhall of all-time was the Calibra, with its class-leading Cd figure of just 0.26. Based on the Cavalier's chassis, the Calibra wowed buyers and media alike at the Frankfurt Show in 1989 with its swooping lines and four-seater capability. Four-wheel drive and turbocharging enhanced the package in later years, with a total of 40,000-plus cars being sold in its six-year production run.

The Vauxhall Drivers' Centre website was created exclusively for Vauxhall owners, adding value to their ownership experience with on-line technical support, special offers, event information and an enhanced level of general information about the Vauxhall brand.
Move over Escort Cosworth.