The 90s of the last century are full of great cars. Among these, there are some that stand out more than others, such as the Lotus Omega . Developed on the basis of the quiet Opel Omega (or Vauxhall Carlton in England), the Lotus Omega was an authentic “hunter” for the BMW M5.
But let's see, under the bonnet there was a 3.6 l bi-turbo inline six cylinders capable of delivering 382 hp and 568 Nm of torque which was associated with a six-speed manual gearbox. All of this allowed the Lotus Omega to reach 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9s and reach a top speed of 283 km/h.
Altogether, they were only produced 950 units this super saloon, which helped make it one of the car unicorns of the 90s. Given this rarity, the appearance of three units for sale at the same auction is almost as rare as seeing a solar eclipse.
However, that's exactly what will happen next weekend at Silverstone Auctions' Race Retro auction.
Two Lotus Carlton and one Lotus Omega
Among the three examples of what became the “fastest saloon in the world”, two correspond to the English version (the Lotus Carlton right-hand drive), the third being the model destined for the rest of Europe, the Lotus Omega, derivative of the Opel model and with the steering wheel “in the right place”.
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The Lotus Omega dates back to 1991 and is the oldest of the three, being one of 415 produced for the German market. Originally purchased in Germany, this copy was imported to the UK in 2017 and has covered 64,000 km. As for the price, this is among the 35 thousand and 40 thousand pounds (between 40 thousand and 45 thousand euros).
Of the three Lotus Omegas for sale at this auction, only one is actually…an Omega. The other two are the British version, the Lotus Carlton.
The first British representative is a 1992 Lotus Carlton and has covered only 41,960 miles (about 67,500 km) in its 27 years of life. In that period of time it had three owners and, with the exception of a stainless steel muffler, it is completely original, with the auctioneer counting to sell it for a price between the 65 thousand and 75 thousand pounds (between 74 thousand and 86 thousand euros).
With nearly 67,500 km covered since 1992, this Lotus Carlton is the most expensive of the three.
Finally, the 1993 Lotus Carlton, despite being the most recent, is also the one that has covered the most kilometers, with 99 thousand miles (about 160 000 km). Although it is still in good condition, the higher mileage makes it the most accessible model of the trio, with the auction house pointing to a value between the 28 thousand and 32 thousand pounds (between 32 thousand and 37 thousand euros).
The 1993 example was used as a day-to-day car until the year 2000 (we can't help but be a little envious of its owner…).