The Lotus Carlton / Omega Sedan Was a World-Beating PR Nightmare - Jason Cammisa Revelations Ep. 28
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2023
- Lotus' first and only-ever 4-door sedan was badged the Lotus Omega (left-hand-drive versions) or Lotus Carlton (RHD.)
Based on the European Car of the Year award-winning Opel Omega and Vauxhall Carlton twins, it was the fastest regular production sedan in the world, and that caused major controversy in the socioeconomic class-conscious United Kingdom.
180-mph supercars like the Ferrari Testarossa had already been around for years, but when a pedestrian brand like Vauxhall endeavored to sell a sedan that could be purchased by non-aristocrats, it rocked the establishment.
Still, the Lotus Carltomega was a tour-de-force, offering 377 hp - 2 hp more than the also Lotus-engineered, 4-cam, 32-valve, 5.7-liter LT5 V-8 from the C4 Corvette ZR-1. The Carlton/Omega sent that outrageous power (and 419 lb-ft of torque!) from its 3.6-liter twin-turbo, DOHC 24-valve straight-six to the rear wheels via the same ZF 6-speed manual used in that King of the Hill Corvette. It was the only 6-speed manual in the world that could cope with the Lotus' power.
The Lotus Type 104 sedan was more than just a straight-line rocket, with huge Ronal wheels, AP Racing brakes, and fully revised suspension. Period road tests demonstrated it would leave its contemporary competition (the E34 BMW M5 and W124 Mercedes 500E) for dead, both in acceleration and top speed.
Revelations goes into the history of why this Lotus was made - thanks to Bob Eaton's desire to make GM Europe cool using newly purchased Lotus' engineering - and how engineers at Opel's Rüsselsheim factory tried to stand in its way.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the Lotus Carlton's history was the ironic PR fallout when Autocar Magazine's editor-in-chief asked Vauxhall to consider limiting its top speed - as the Germans had just voluntarily agreed to a 250 km/h (155-mph) limit. The British Parliament even got involved, with hearings condemning the Lotus' performance, suggesting that because it was a "cheap car," it could be purchased by those incapable of driving it safely. Or, worse, people who would use it to commit crimes.
The other great irony, Alanis (lol), is that this happened 5 years later, when a stolen Carlton with the now-infamous license plate "40 RA" was used in a crime spree - but was too fast for the police to catch.
Of course we'd be remiss in not mentioning Carlton Banks - the lovable character in the Will Smith's cotemporary-to-the-Carlton early-1990s TV hit "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," whose energetic dance to Tom Jones' "Not Unusual" created a meme from which the talented dancer/actor Alfonso Ribeiro still cannot escape.
If you know Jason Cammisa, then you've already guessed that he spent hours learning the Carlton, so that he could perform it in the most pants-splitting way possible.
But only after having brutalized a windy back road with the Carlton's enormous power. While in the factory Cheater Mode engine programming. Of course.
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On a TV car show here in germany they interviewed an owner of this car. His father was an Opel dealer back in the 90s and kept the car for himself because it was so much fun. The son said when it was new they took it to the Nürburgring for some hot laps the same day a Ferrari dealer did a sales event where customeres could test drive their latest models. The Lotus Omega with four people on board was quicker around the race track, leaving the Ferraris back in the dust. He said after some laps the Ferrari dealer was furious and demanded that they must leave as the Lotus humiliated his customers 🤣
Typical Ferrari arrogance
@@marieaudreyduchamp8839 Sure, though to be fair we are talking about an Opel beating Ferraris.
@@screenPhiles *Ferraris so slow they got dusted by an Opel.
Git gud, Maranello. And to be fair....they did.
I dont doubt it, but to be fair comparisons around the nurburgring between normal drivers say very little about the car, it takes quite a bit of training to go fast around there. As an example I have dusted quite a lot of Ferraris there, as well as any other brand you care to name, in my 2 liter diesel hatchback...
Classic! Wish I could have seen the look on that dealer's face lol!
The wait between new Revelations is difficult but the reward is always worthwhile.
So true
But can this be healthy?
I think Jason had a break to catch up with content, the schedule should be back to normal now
@@istvanlorinczi2817 I think his attitude is a bit of an issue as well. Digging into some comments on his YT channel the man has no sense of humor about himself yet he's trying so hard to give that loose vibe on his videos. Sorta American version of Corden.
Absolutely true
The turbos sound so disappointed when you let off the gas. I love this thing!!
its because they are!
Sometimes its a Mario "Yahoo"
I have a friend who has 2 of these 😂😂 one modified one stock. He took me on a ride in the modified one, which at the time had around 700 horsepowers. It was the most frightening 15 minutes. I have ever spent in any car.
Hearing the Lotus Carlt-Omega directly compared to the Charger Hellcats literally made me do the *shocked Pikachu* face.
Because it's so mind-blowingly accurate.
@@vuckyabx They are both relatively accessible, garish in appearance, and comedically, OUTRAGEOUSLY powerful vehicles. Cars with a massive sense of humor and no sense of political correctness - a screenshot at 12:59 shows an article questioning how the Carlton fits into a society increasingly concerned with the environment.
Different blood, same spirit. Both will be revered as legends when the world of cars goes silent.
@@mitchell-wallisforce7859 We need an inflation calculator for HP like we do USD. I want to know what 170hp in 1982 was in comparison to today's cars. 377hp in 1994 vs 800hp in 2023 seems lopsided in the Carlton's favor when compared to an average of its contemporaries.
@@Tyrael112 Nah, 377 to 800 seem about right for the "competitors". More or less bang on, I would say? BMW M5 1991 to today is almost exactly same ratio/gap.
Not really a great comparison because Hellcat is not faster than an M5 and it doesn't handle better, but Omega did handle.
@@Tyrael112 I've been calculating exactly what you're thinking about, and found out that the easiest way to make fair comparison is by comparing the most readily available car at that time and today. In my case I used the Civic a benchmark.
Back in the early 1980s, Civic made 68hp, whereas today the Civic makes (on average, accounting the non turbo 1.5 sold in the rest of the world other than EU and US) ±155hp. That makes them an increase of 2,2 times the power. So theoritically, the 1982 170hp car is the equivalent of a 370hp car today. Which is roughly the power of a Mercedes E450 today, with the 1982 equivalent being the 280E with 172hp.
Moving on to the Carlton which was launched in 1990. Back then, the 4th gen Civic on average made 86hp. This translates to Civic today making 1,8 times more power than their 1990 counterpart. The V8 flagship 540i made 282hp, and 1,8 times that is roughly the same number of today's M550i 523hp. Accounting this, if the Carlton is being made today, it'd make 680hp on factory default. Which is still a huge number, especially when the car could handle (think of the M5 CS, but with extra 50hp). The Carlton's contemporaries such as the M5 made 311hp, which equals to 560hp today calculated this way. While the facelift made 335hp or 603hp today. The 500E too would "only" make 590-something hp if made today.
I like how the car sounds like it's going "woo-hoo" every time you let off the gas
It's not stock.
It's Super Mario's voice actor having an existential crisis in the trunk.
@@no1DdC I was thinking it was an asthmatic teenage darth vader.
Turbo charger kicks in
grrrrrrrr-wooohooo
grrrrrr-woohoohooo
I had the occasional use of one of these back in the ‘90’s. Speed cameras weren’t a thing then except on the M25 near Heathrow airport and everyone knew where they were. I remember seeing off an M5 BMW easily in this beast. He chased me half way across the country trying to prove his worth but to no avail😂. It was and still is, in my opinion, the best car I have driven, better than any of the more exotic cars I have had the privilege of driving.
That turbo dose noise . I bet it was an absolute weapon.
think it was matched by siera cosworth
@@truthinlifewoken6698 no. I drove a few of those back then too. They were very fast but the Lotus was an animal.
@@truthinlifewoken6698 a standard sierra cosworth had no chance against a Lotus Carlton. Cossie had 165bhp/ton the Carlton had 228bhp/ton. I’m a Ford guy that hates Vauxhall but even I’d take the Lotus Carlton.
@@truthinlifewoken6698I’m a massive Cossie fan & will fight the corner all day long.. but even I’ll admit nothing comes close to a Lotus Carlton 👌🏻 there’s a reason 40 RA is such a legend 🤣
£45,000 in 1990 is equal to £131,000 today and $161,000. Not exactly cheap at all.
In terms of supercats thats cheap, remember in the 90s a ferrari, or porsche 911 was 80k
The Carlton is a mythical beast to us British petrolheads. Awesome video as always!!
I think I've only seen one in the wild around here.
Only the most deadly yield such power
Isn’t this the same car they robbed the booky in, in the movie Snatch
@@frankfrankly8764 nah, I think that's a Rover which Tyrone drives lol
@@gazza_s1413 yeah, probably, same 1 he hit the packet of peanuts in
The sound of a turbocharged straight 6 is just the greatest thing.
No my 3 rotor go brappp...
No lol... A V8 sounds best... turbo 6 sounds good though
Meanwhile a V10 is sitting around the corner just laughing at you all 🤣
NA straight side sounds better
Me as Grandma: "Well, I think they're all very nice." Now, who wants a nice cup of tea?
Interestingly enough, I knew two brothers that used to live near me; one had the Ferrari Testarossa and the other Lotus Omega. The main difference was the Omega was actually driven, while the Ferrari spend at least 360 days a year in the garage after some small fender bender resulted in outrageous repair bill.
I was at the Lotus test track at Hethel as a teen and had the privilege of watching one of these take part in an ‘auto test’.
A short sprint that goes through a tight set of cones, returning to a square to park in.
I swear I have never seen such a large car shift from a stationary start to up to 60 or so mph in such rapid style. It just chewed the track and was gone in a flash. Twin Garrett Turbos kicked it into next century !
This is one of the funniest and best videos I have ever seen from across the pond. Love it
You are a legend ! Your grip on UK humour is spot on mate
Jason has made an "old top gear" of is own kind. Full credits to him and all of the Hagerty team, it's a really joy when a knew episode comes out: the music's mix, the humor and the content.
Keep on the excellent work guys!
Nail on the head
Except it's better than Old Top Gear, since it is less staged and more down to earth. ;)
@@marshgatelaneposse except for the humour part .
@@cossied01 -- which, unlike old Top Gear, just wasn't funny.
@@twatmunroDepends on what you mean by old top gear. Top gear goes all the way back to the 70s, but even when the BBC changed it up in 2002, it was very informative and funny for about 6 or 7 years. They then began scripting a lot of unfunny nonsense, totally agreed. Such a shame because at one point it was the best programme on tv.
I'm English and the statement "A classist bunch of twats" was spot on. So funny but so correct🤣🤣
Great video 🤣🤣👍👍👍
Always funny hearing Americans do an English accent. Nice surname BTW 😉👍
@@promtbeat When done ironically, I imagine the comparable Brit imitation of America to be a dramatic eastern Texas/rural Tennessee accent. It's amazing to me that there are just as many regional accents across the British Isles as there are throughout the entire US/Canada. You seem to be able to tell where someone is from, despite the distance being
I mean, I think they would have called them something else less family friendly, If they could.
@@rturner4205 oh no that is a perfect use.
Limey agrees!
this show is such an awesome mix of information and humour, i hope it continues for a long time. Jason is an awesome presenter
What an utterly brilliant video!! I was fortunate to have worked on these things as an apprentice at one of the few Vauxhall dealers that were allowed to sell them. One of our auto electricians invented remote central locking for them, so there were no door locks. (We put back door handles on the front) At one point, we had 10 stolen ones all recovered by the Police lined up in one of the workshops! Epic epic car.
The worst part about Jason's videos is that they end 😢
*The only bad part
I was just stoked that he made another video. Feels like forever
Facts.
Same story with the Sierra Cosworths. They were pissed that a blue collar had access to the same speed as a blue blood.
It cost £48,000 in 1990, thats not blue collar money. This guys opening premise is stupid and straight up false, thats over £100,000 in todays money.
@@johnk190 the same as a ZR1 back in 2012. I saw a lot more guys wearing New balances coming out them then Armani loafers.
@@johnk190 Blue collar ≠ broke. A Hellcat RedEye ScatPack Widebody Tire Molester or whatever the latest Challenger is called is not a cheap car by any means, but it is cheaper than almost anything else packing 700hp from the factory. They just attract a wealthier redneck.
@@johnk190 Yep, 48 grand would probably get you a pretty decent house in 1990.
A testarossa in 1990 was £123,000. (More in America at £140k) that £357,689 in 2023 money so.....yeah, you forgot to add perspective. Same power for a third of the price.....and he wasn't talking about poor people, he was talking about middle class people.
in Brazil the Omega was sold in the 80s and 90s rebranded by gm, this means that there is a LOT of "chevy Omegas" in BR, my boss has one, a CD(comfort diamond) edition, very rare one, but an used one here is kinda cheap if youre talking about dollar conversion, but is kinda hard to find one that is in good shape
I still drive a Opel Omega but with the smallest 6 cil engine 2.6i with 150hp and also build now from a Omega Station a trailer. I drive a Omega A since 1998 and don´t wont drive any else. I love this car and as long i can fix everything by myself i will keeping drive it!
Greeting from the Netherland
I had many Vauxhalls in the 90s from an ex police 3ltr Senator (no traction control) to a 3000Gsi Carlton (only 12v) through to a Mk2 Astra GTE 16v. I remember the press going mental about the Lotus Carlton and i wanted one even more because of it. Still looks perfect even today.
I had and stole e ery hothatch ever made back then including this one
I can't tell if thats turbo noise or Jason audibly going "woo" after every upshift. These episodes are fantastic. You've successfully scratched a Top Gear itch.
This. Almost sounds like they sped up the audio of him. Sound like a chipmunk.
I really hope they keep the driving sections at the end as driving noise only, without any bits or commentary.
That’s noise of the turbo 😂
Saw one of these in the wild at a local petrol station many years ago. Photos don’t do it justice. It screamed brute power but in a very stealthy way. The colour absolutely suits the character of the car. Loved it and obviously envied the owner to this day.
Dear Jason and his team, YOU ARE FREAKING KILLING IT. Can’t have enough of these ‘Revelations’ videos. Wonderful job. ❤
My dad had a couple Carltons when I was growing up in the early 90s, so I had a lot of childhood memories in that car. I definitely remember it being a comfortable car for our long holiday drives to Scotland, France or Germany.
In the early 2000s I found out my dad's friend had both a Carlton GSi 3000, as well as a Lotus Carlton. My dad's friend also used to be a rally driver. I was lucky enough to get two mildly terrifying rides with him: one in the GSi, up in the French Alps, and then another in the Lotus, going down British country lanes. The Lotus was absolutely bonkers, especially when driven close to the limit by someone who really knows how to drive. Ironically I was just thinking about it a few days ago, so funny that you should release this video now! Thanks for featuring this not-so-well-known 4-door supercar of the day!
Man that is so cool. 4 door sedans are the best. This, the 190 AMG Evo and the VXR8 are some of the coolest cars ever made.
@@SumChap1 VXR8? I will go google this car, I drive a lancer Evo and I like the 190 AMG and this Lotus Carlton is also awesome!!
@@Hunikengt VXR8 = Chevy SS but with more HSV (tuner) parts
We had to do all that in a Fiat Panda.
🤢
When viewers learn what Lotus actual history was.....they're surprised
I didn't get that far into the video yet but Lotus history has some darker aspects, Chapman did innovate, he did change motorsport but he also got people killed as his competitive desire to win led to lethal compromises in the designs.
Also took money with Delorean as well I believe.
@@Tuberuser187 Many teams lost drivers due to lack of safety and pushing bounderies back in the 60s and 70s not just Lotus.
Emerson Fittipaldi always said he believed Mr Chapman faked his death to escape the DeLorean scandal and hid in Brazil
@@neillaw9867 That's true but Lotus often pushed things bit too far.
Back in 2015 there was a Lotus Omega for sale in TX for $30,000, I wish I could have bought it. It would have gone stunningly with my 2013 Chevrolet (Holden) Caprice PPV that I bought with only 800 miles in a nice shade of Alto Grey. There was a 1st year silver HSV Commodore GTS for sale in Australia for less than $20,000 that I wish I could have imported as well...could have had a trifecta of ultra rare, fast as heck, 4 doors.
It's a car which reminds me of why I love cars in the first place. I remember when it came out and most car fans were in total awe of it. It certainly didn't do Vauxhall's reputation any harm in the real world. Not to my recollection, anyway.
Jason is simply one of the best motoring journalists in the world!
He is only a host of the show, there are a lot of people behind these videos, though he is a good host to be honest
@@eustahijelifetips watch the carmudgeon show and you know better. He researches this stuff himself.
He’s no Matt Farrah.
@@Bob_Smith19 MF sux
@@Bob_Smith19 who always talks about money and how to get the most of it from youtube.
Disappointed that Jason missed the opportunity to call the Carltomega the Omegaton.
thats allright
Omegatron
Let's call things how they appear: _Jason _*_did not take_*_ the opportunity.._
Nuclear acceleration!
I worked at Lotus between 1997 and 2011.. Mike Kimberly came back briefly as CEO, and as a Staff Representative; I had a number of meetings with him. He was a great man, and very knowledgeable
Being a Brit, kid of the 90s I knew all aboit this car and always had a soft spot for it. Still your video kept me interested! Great content. Subbed.
I actually ordered one of these cars, I had to fly to London to go to the motor show because that was were you could order the car the earliest and I was number 3 on the list and the cars order book was closed at the show. The driving experience was exciting bordering on terrifying it was phenomenally fast and if the turbo started to produce serious boost at the wrong time, let's just say you had to be concentrating or you would be leaving the road most likely backwards, as I said exciting!
You can see this at the end of the video - whoever is driving is having to put in some serious steering input to stay on the road. I've driven a Porsche Panamera Turbo GT with 620HP and the computers in that thing let you slam the pedal down with one finger on the steering wheel. I've also driven an Alfa Romeo 33 Boxster that was FWD and would change lanes at the slightest throttle input. Mad respect to drivers of the Lotus Carlton for not spearing it straight into the nearest ditch.
@gospelofrye6881 my grandad had one and I loved it proper drivers car unfortunately it got scrapped for a v6 omega 😅 bit of a step down the omega was a dog
@@gospelofrye6881it's Jason driving.
How much were these new back in the day?
@@Stu_Kennedy around £39000 - £40000 from what I remember and well worth the money.
It's crazy how for such a small company Lotus is, their roots can be found across so many of today's awesome automotive foundational developments across a ton of manufacturers.
They had a slight impact on in formula one mid 60’s……..
Lotus is a fantastic little company of super inspired individuals. A great & unique story. ...that's why i drive one of their cars.
The anti-red coat sentiment absolutely oozing out of Jason in this clip isn't lost on us
Jason Cammisa could do an hour long video on the Dodge Omni and I'd be fascinated. He makes any video top notch.
Same here. Ooh maybe they can do the Omni GLH turbo!!! That would be sick!
Or even better...the GLH -.....S!
@@robcampbell3235
👍
Don’t forget about the Dodge Daytona Shelby Z
@@Bob_Smith19 heck a whole "Where in the World was Carroll Shelby ??" episode would be awesome.
I live in the West Midlands, the region where that Carlton in the story was stolen from. ‘40 RA’ is legendary amongst car enthusiasts in the UK.
Yes the fantom 40RA.
It's still out there somewhere, just planning it's next raid. And it'll be a big one!
The owner from back then even bought another one and put the 40 RA plates on.
Vauxhall stole the "getaway car of choice" title from Jaguar!
Some say it ended up in a canal but maybe it's hiding in some dusty garage somewhere, waiting, just waiting..........
I will never forget the only time I ever held another non-family male’s (my best friend’s) sweaty hand, it was in December 1995, in the backseat of this car. The father of another friend of mine offered a ride home from our uni, it was raining heavily and this man did 150 (non-freedom units) on a sharp bend in a highway divider. I heard he later bought one of the first pagani’s in my country. I will never forget that bend and I still think about that moment of fear and cringe when I drive trough that bend nowadays. This car is sick. You directly notice the exterior as there’s something strange about it you can’t really put your hand on. Until the motor starts…
My stepfather once owned one of these extraordinary cars. I remember when we went on vacation to Lake Constance in 1994 and suddenly a Ferrari appeared in the rear-view mirror and thought it was going to casually shake us off. The Ferrari probably didn't know what it was up against and gave up relatively quickly. My childhood memory of this car! My second car was then a normal Opel Omaga. Unfortunately, I wrecked it. Now, in my 40s and a convinced Volvo driver, the Lotus Omega is and will always be my dream car. Alongside the Ferrari F40, it was my legendary car of my childhood.
An insanely wealthy acquaintance of mine used to own one of these. He was racing in DTM for an Opel-team at the time and thus the Lotus Omega was a natural choice, I suppose. I caught a ride in this thing and you cannot overstate the impression that car made on me at that time. It was *insanely* fast - and one has to remember Opel's image and state of affairs back then in Germany. They were *mostly* selling cars with laughably outdated tech and stuffy looking interiors that were driven by older men wearing a hat behind the wheel - despite some of their younger fans viewing them as some sort of giant-slaying, fire-breathing monsters. This thing however ... That said: I distinctly remember being much less impressed with the interior and build quality, especially considering the price. It may have been half the price of a Testarossa, but it wasn't cheap by any means. And despite that, it still looked like a not very well put together old man's car - dreary looking interior with cheap plastics and switch-gear everywhere. But perhaps that's exactly what makes it that much cooler.
Opel hated the fact that the car was badged as a lotus so much that they didn't bother homologating the Carlton/Lotus Omega variant for the DTM, instead they used modified version of the c30 of the Omega and called it a day. The body was very much like Carlton though, they had to come up with another homologation name so it was hologated as Omega Evo 500
@@gountzas Weren't turbo engines banned in DTM in any case? There were no Cosworth Sierras or Nissan Skylines either. I thought only NA Group A cars were allowed in DTM.
I absolutely adore this Lotus! It was such a unique vehicle and it isn't appreciated enough.
Check out their sale listings. They're appreciated, they're appreciating!
Came here to say this. They’ve been selling in the 100k range for many years now.
As the other two have said - you try buy one, and you'll find out fairly sharpish how well appreciated they are! They are a bona-fide classic - and justifiably so, lusted over by any and every true petrolhead brought up on clapped out hatchbacks in the 80's and 90's!
Well, I just mean people focus on the insane, well done, iconic cars instead of the weirder ones like this.
@@pashkaS54I’ve never seen one listed for 100k and they’ve been on my radar for over two decades. More like 50-75k all day. Most people don’t know what it is, even car people. Obscurity keeps the prices attainable. The last thing true enthusiasts need is another E30 M3 situation.
My goodness Jason. I remember this from the car magazines back then and has since been off my radar. Thanks for the reminder that they still exist. Great video once again. Thank you and the production team for research and great work!
I am old enough to remember Opel Omegas. They were amazing. They have been used by both governments and taxi fleets. They were luxurious and fast. The time when GM meant something. And they were competing with the E-Classe and Ford Scorpio.
I have the privilege of being a passenger in one of these in the mid 90’s. It was insane how fast it was we topped 150mph on the M6 towards Cumbria. Good times.
Did you happen to ram raid a shop beforehand
Did it have a fridge in the glove compartment?
Classic villain car. Did you have 30000 Es in the boot?
@@kevfullo Why would anyone have 30000 Envelopes in their boot other than Postman Pat (whom I heard was a gangster...)?
150 in these say 30 x in 5 of them we stole at least 10 police chases to sold the entire interior the wheels and the engines on all 5 of them
Started my Vauxhall apprenticeship in 1994, my first introduction to this amazing machine was a stolen recovered one after just a few months of being there. New door locks, new ignition barrel and an amazing test drive later (at 18 years old) I was in love, what a machine, forget your Sierra Cosworths this thing was a world better… I’d give my left testicle or right come to think of it to own one nowadays. Long live the Lotus Carlton.
You'd be lucky to get one these days for an arm, leg, 3 balls and both your kidneys
@@_Area-51 your not wrong, then again a fist full of dollars would help. 😂
Didn’t happen to the 40 RA lotus Carlton???🤣
@@_Area-51they're not that expensive here in the UK at least. There's an abandoned one down the road from me in a junkyard, I have a photo of it aswell
My dad has an Opel Omega CD 2.0i (115 HP) in the late 80s. It was an amazing car at the time. It had onboard computer, drove nicely, velour interior, sunroof, all the gadgets and extras you could get at the time. And it looked great and futuristic, especially considering what most cars looked like at the time.
My ex´s dad had one of these tuned around 700 hp, and boy was it fast! it felt unreal sitting in the back when he did a pull in it.
As a Brit I'd like to say, thanks for a completely honest review of this. They were f*cking fast back in the day. Still quick now. UK benchmark performance is a 0 - 100mph...these could do it in around 10 seconds... back in 1988!
Someone in my town got an Omega when I was young. I will never forget the sound. One of my holy grail cars
I was born in 1991 and I can remember ever since I was little there was a lotus Carlton literally two doors down. I can also remember going out in it a few time when I was younger. It was such a amazing car and the turbo flutter was amazing sound and being 6/7 years old it felt like being In a rocket ship.
Unfortunately I can remember they day it wasn't in the driveway no more as it was stolen and found a few months later crashed..
Being from UK and from Norfolk the home county of lotus there are a couple of these Carltons not from from me and still see them at car events and meets which is brilliant as they where such amazing car.
Especially to be in as a child, unfortunately I'm not a fan of Vauxhall personally but these where something special
Jason whistling we be spoke as the Baron was to much. I was frikin rolling. 😂😂❤
As a kid I used to go trough price lists that a car magazine published here in Germany, and I always used to marvel at the Porsches and Ferraris, because they were so expensive and had so much power. But my father was a mechanic and a die-hard Opel guy and tried at every turn to show me that cheaper cars could be awesome too. So one day he told me about the Opel Omega and how a comparatively boring sedan used to beat up Ferraris and Porsches on the Autobahn and from that day onwards that car was burned into my brain.
At 0:23, Jason refers to the Carlton/Omega as the only 4-door sedan to be badged as a Lotus. But I think we shall not forget the Ford Cortina Lotus from the 1960's. Especially because it was heavily modified by Lotus, vastly known as the Lotus Cortina and it has a huge racing pedigree (as a certain Jim Clark (RIP) would agree😉). I enjoyed a lot the longer driving section at the end. Please keep on doing the same for the next cars! 🙏
I think that you will find that 1) the Cortina Lotus was a two door and 2) it was officially a Ford.
@@rolandsuch I think you'll find they did make four 4-door Corrina's bufdy
@@lukebarker594 The Cortina was also available as four door saloon and estate, but the Lotus was officially only available as a two door in both Mk I and Mk II guise.
The Lotus Omega/Lotus Carlton was officially a Lotus, with a SCC VIN code, the Cortina was officially still a Ford, called Ford Cortina Lotus, with a Ford VIN code.
Guys, thanks a lot for all the info! Therefore, I "unsay" what I said... 🙃
I'm old enough to remember the outrage the Lotus Carlton caused..
The irony is more the Government and Police screamed the more the public loved it.
It was the best free advert the Lotus Carlton could of have gotten..
It elevated the Lotus Carlton to legendary status
The way Jason got so scared when floored it for the first time broke me. XD
The Lotus Carlton sits at that awkward point between when I was a kid, and could dream of any car I wanted, and when I was a young adult and couldn't afford anything fun at all. I was acutely aware that it had dethroned the Cosworth (because my Dad had one of those) and that it was somehow a transgression against the natural order of things. Great episode. As always.
The engine sound at the end is just...EPIC!!!
i've been waiting all these last months for a new episode. Thank you guys!
Another stellar presentation on an obscure car that very few people even know about. Love the work you're doing brother, keep it up!!!
I remember when the Lotus Carlton came out when I was at school. It was the coolest thing on four wheels. You rarely saw one, but when you did (even though my dad had a 2.0 Vauxhall Carlton), it was like seeing a Ferrari. Sooooo cool 👌👍
Only 950 made, I can bet you rarely saw em! My Hyundai is 1 of 500 and I got lucky enough to see 4 or 5 of them so far. I bet 50% are written off though.
Wonder how many Carltons are left
@@johndc2998 In the UK 56 on the road and 126 sorned, globally no idea.
Used to walk past one daily to school on Anerley Hill Crystal Palace in the early 00's. Beast of a car.
@@80sBaby925 I lived in Charnwood road.
No 886 currently for sale in UK for £99,995 on 34k miles. I remember all of the outrage when it launched, which I thought was hilarious!! I still think it's one of the coolest British cars ever 😁
Even though it's mostly German?
@@SMlFFY85 that's not strictly true because when GM amalgamated Opel and Vauxhall in the seventies, many of the design team at Vauxhall relocated to Opel. Wayne Cherry was the head of design for GM Europe and he came from Vauxhall.
The base car was built in Germany, all of the engineering and assembly was at Hethel.
@@demon352003 well the Carlton/Omega was a crap basic car. Lotus could have turned anything into a masterpiece, just like Cosworth turned a p.o.s. Ford Sierra into another legend of the road.
I don't care what Jason's video is about .... You Sir, you are the perfect presenter of anything that moves on 4 wheels, Bravo Mr. Cammisa !
_The writhing rear end breaking traction in the final driving segment of the video looks uber-fun... but the gasping blow-off valve is hilarious_ 🤣 _Thanks for a great review._
Great show, as always, Jason and Hagerty team. How do you know so much? And how do you find all those priceless period-correct ads, TV shows, and film clips? Amazing and so entertaining. And enlightening!
They do put the work in, complete respect.
You're right on the money about the hypocrisy and class ridden nature of so much of our (UK) society. Sadly, things don't seem to be getting any better. At least, today, more of us can enjoy driving well engineered, characterful cars than ever before. Thank you for reminding us of some of these classics
There seems to be this mentality against UK, or claiming that things in UK are worse here than elsewhere, but it's rarely based in facts. Normally spread by people with political agendas.
Look at the numbers - USA is, and for the last century has always been, dramatically more divided by class.
The poorest in USA are far poorer, and the richest are far richer.
Example: Gini coefficient is 30% higher in USA, closer to most countries in Africa than Western Europe.
@@svong8789 ... as George Carlin once remarked, "it's called the American dream, cos' you've gotta be asleep to believe it" ... 🤗 ...
Now it's forcing people into electric cars that won't be able to afford them or able to home charge because they don't live in a house with a garage or driveway
@@svong8789 "If you're so smart how come you ain't rich?" - America.
@Gospelofrye I think you misunderstand my point, which had nothing to do either with being smart, nor being rich. It was just pointing out a fact on wealth distribution.
These are genius and funny. Turning a topic I didn’t know I was interested in, into 10 minutes of entertainment, education, and social commentary. Well done, sir!
One of the best social commentaries ever... in a blaster car video. Awesome
*Everyone had Lambos and Ferraris on posters on their bedroom walls. I had THIS!*
I remember walking with my dad in Hammersmith one time, on a dull sunday afternoon and saw this car, parked alone. It looked so unassuming. As a 12 year old kid it was easy to pass by without noticing. That was until my dad pointed it out, and spoke about its mythical status. I was hooked, especially when I heard crazy stories about my govt trying to get this thing banned!! Incredible beast and can still go toe-to-toe its VXR8 pretender (another favourite fast saloon.)
I lived off Askew Rd 👍 one of these lives in Whitton Richmond now 😍
VXR8 = Holden Commodore HSV Clubsport/GTS.
@@thethirdman225 rebadged Vauxhall/Opel Omega underneath makes you wonder why they never made any interesting versions back in the 90s
@@JohnLawley24v The Commodore was an all-Australian car, bigger than an Opel and with a 6.2 litre Chevrolet V8 in it. The HSV versions had a number of improvements to suspension, brakes and power.
One other thing worth noting. The final development work on the engine to get it to behave and be reliable was done by Alpina. Here in Australia a BMW tuning shop in Sydney worked on my 5 and 6 series back in the mid 90’s. Their engine man was a guy called Volker Gunther who had been one of Alpina’s engine gurus. Up on the wall he had a poster of the Alpina B10 Biturbo motor being run on the dyno with exhaust manifold and turbos aglow. On chatting to him, it turns out Volker had done much of the dev work on that engine. It was at that point that he revealed that this was a much better engine than the Lotus Carlton motor, and that he knew this because he was the guy assigned to fix all the problems with it that Lotus could not sort. This was done on a back door contract between GM and Alpina on the understanding that it was never to be made public…
Now THAT is a cool side note.
A similar thing happened in Australia in the early 70s. Holden, Ford and Chrysler were scheduled to release 160mph cars. A famous auto magazine, Wheels released an image of a Falcon's speedometer showing 160mph. This caused backlash from the government which threatened to end government purchase of their cars. Ultimately, all three manufacturers chose to end production.
Jason Cammisa... Hagerty... every time you release an episode I am on it.
Stunning... I rarely watch ANYTHING twice, but I have repeated your episodes.
I'm so happy to see a new Revelations episode!
Absolute legend of a car. Probably my #1 dream car honestly. That 90s nostalgia look, combined with absolutely raw go fast.
Never thought I will see an Opel on Revelations or on Hagerty. Super awesome! Great episode as always and an amazing car.
We had the Omega here in brazil too. Our performance option was a 4.1 liter engine rooted in the 1930's...
Yet another awesome instalment, loved these when I was growing up in the UK.
One of the most notorious getaway cars was a Carlton wearing the registration number 40RA
they still haven't found those responsible for the theft haha. The car was recovered just a few years ago
@@mr.summerset8054 in a canal of all places, such a shame.
Revelations are THE BEST car videos ever! In Brazil we had the Chevrolet Omega with many different engines, the most powerfull being a 4.1L straight six, good for 168hp, and it was already a beast on the road. I can only wonder how monstruous the Lotus version is.
I remember reading about these in high school. I was shocked to hear that a sedan could compete with a Ferrari.
As far as I am concerned I'd have this over a Ferrari. I may be able to actually purchase the car without having to buy 3 others before hand. (:
The Carlton was my favorite car in Gran Turismo. Thanks for the driving clip at the end - sounds amazing.
I actually have a original signed owners edition of the bood entitled "Lotus Carlton" by Ian Adcock. Very detailed book showing the history and developmental stages of the Carlton.
This really needs more exposure. Let's promote this channel so Jason gets a decent budget to feed us every day
With 2.5 million subs ,,hes doing ok I think lol
@@oddsandwindsocks5905 too few views for the quality he delivers, look at the insane amount of views that other CZcams channels get, filming just silly things
Australia went through the same thing with the 170mph Ford Falcon GTHO Phase IV back in the 70’s.
Awesome and more, much more frequently! Here to watch next episode any day!
You could buy a 4.0 version, c40se from Irmscher opel/Vauxhall tuning arm. There is also an Opel Omega Evo homologation special for DTM that's more rare than the Lotus Carlton.
Was the DTM used in bank robberies?
Good god, I LOVE YOU CAMMISA!!
Don't you ever stop doing this. Ever. I will not allow it.
Your writers need a raise.
Your editors and graphics department need a raise.
You need a contract that will permanently enshrine the perpetual production and hilarious historical hashing that is REVelations for years to come. I'm sorry if you had other plans.
Keep it up, you're doing great!
The last part of this video cracked me up! Good job.
I was nodding off and the torque steer at 17:42 startled me
not torque steer, counter steering because the rear kicked out
torque steer is from FWD cars where there's a slight difference between the power going to each wheel so it tries to turn the wheel
I used to be a big Vauxhall fanatic, these are the Holy Grail for Vauxhall people. Always a rare sight on our roads though I did pass one a couple months back. What a sweet sound from the cockpit, those twin garretts so audible.
A guy I worked for years ago had one. He rarely drove it though, he took me out in it once was unbelievably fast
To me, this car is a gem and it always will be. I remember when I first knew of its existense and serious performance when I saw it in Gran Turismo 4 way back in '05.
3:58 - that drawing, 35 years later - still looks good - could easily build that in 2024 and sell.
Who is this guy and why are his videos soooo damn good! I never thought I would sit and watch a 20 min video with a smile on my face about an opel sedan lol, just wow!
The lotus carlton used in the robberys was 40RA. The car is legendary in the UK and worthy of its own episode. One police officer was quoted as saying, "we can't catch it, and I doubt we ever will."
To my knowledge, 40RA has never been found.
40 RA was discovered, unfortunately it had been dumped in a canal.
@@Zerofightervi It's still never been found, it was rumoured to have been dumped in a canal. The previous owner of 40RA kept the plate and has now bought another Lotus Carlton and fitted the old plate back onto that.
@@trigsretromotors how could he keep a plate off a stolen car he no longer possessed?
@@johndc2998 You still own the plate, the DVLA will just remove it for you if you pay the transfer/redemption fee
@@trigsretromotors You do not own the plate. You just pay to use it. It also has to be transferred from a vehicle with an MoT.
Right now. Haggerty has the best automotive content available. Between Jason & Randy it's awesome! Thank you!
first time watching.
these dudes must be extremely rich/wealthy. their understandingn of "working class vs upper class"
ive never met somebody "upper class" with a 24/7 live in house butler.
Totally agree
One of these down the road from me in Staffordshire England stunning cars truly
Awesome video that makes one nostalgic for simpler times
I can't tell if that's the blowoff or Jason laughing lmao
I still remember seeing one of those Omegas parked in my neighborhood near Toulon in 1993. I had read about them and I was shocked to see it a short walk from our front door! A legend.
How the hell have I only just discovered this channel. Bloody brilliant.
The Carlton is in my top 3 of all time. Absolutely superb vehicle for all the reasons given.
Informative and refreshing as always Jason, Your British accent is on point btw! had a lot of fun watching this today. Thank you.
This thing is one of the coolest cars I've never heard of.
Was a big deal back in the 90's in the UK and notorious for some of the reasons outlined in this vid. Absolute freakish monster of a car at the time and still pretty dam quick even now!