When I was asked to cover this automotive legend, I had no idea how surprised I would be at the end of this article. Now you're probably wondering what's so surprising about a blocky 1990s Opel that looks like a teenage tuner worked on it? Quite a lot actually, so I apologize for making this article more technical, but really every piece of information is worth paying attention to. Come to the next paragraph and judge for yourself.
At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, the market for sporty family sedans needed a breath of fresh air. Therefore, General Motors , as the owner of Opel, decided to build a sedan that would be able to accelerate from 0-100 in under 6 seconds and would put the current competition to shame. To achieve this goal, they took an Opel Omega car with a three-liter six-cylinder engine and sent it to mechanics from Lotus. The first Opel Lotus Omega (the British version was called the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton ) first appeared at the Geneva Motor Show in 1989. Its production began a year later at Lotus and lasted for 5 years . During that time, GM planned to produce 1,100 units, but only 950 were actually produced (320 Carlton badges and 630 Omega badges)
The body, 4786 mm long, 1933 mm wide and 1435 mm high, still has the classic angular shapes , but there are not a few changes. At first glance, we notice a distinctive body kit including the front bumper, sill extensions, fender skirts, rear bumper and a distinctive spoiler on the trunk lid. The changes made were not just a cosmetic matter, their purpose is to stabilize the car at high speeds, if we take into account the maximum speed of 283 km/h , it is a solid battle with the air. With a drag coefficient of 0.31 Omega was winning this battle. The cooling holes on the hood were also an active element.
In order for the body to glide gracefully around the other cars, Lotus took the original three-liter six-cylinder and removed almost everything from it. He left only the reinforced block, which he modified anyway. Engine volume increased from 3.0l to 3.6l , while maintaining the bore. The aluminum cylinder head was modified and the compression ratio was reduced (from 10.0 to 8.2:1). Furthermore, the engine received two high-end Garrett T25 turbochargers with a boost pressure of 0.7 bar, Mahle forged pistons with graphite treatment, more durable connecting rods, a forged crankshaft and a pair of also forged camshafts worked on top. The result was a power of 382 hp and a torque of 568 Nm. There was also a change in the Lotus-Delco control unit. Transferring such power to the rear axle was no fun, but the constructors found a solution in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 , from which they took the ZF S6-40 gearbox, supplemented it with a limited -slip differential from a Holden Commodore V8 and a hard hydraulic clutch. With this tuned engine designated as C36GET , the driver had a torque of 470 Nm at his disposal already at 2000 revolutions per minute and could be revved up to the limit of 6200 revolutions per minute . The Lotus Omega was able to accelerate from 0 to 100 in 5 seconds , from 0 to 160 in 11 seconds and hit 200 km/h in 17 seconds, the quarter mile in 14 seconds. Do you now understand why BMW, Mercedes and Audi were knocking their knees? For ten years, the Lotus Omega held the title of the fastest sedan in the world .
Good driving characteristics were ensured by a modified chassis , which consisted of an independent McPherson suspension at the front, a stabilizer and double-shell shock absorbers at the front and rear. The rear axle was hydraulically height adjustable , which required regular leak checks and care. The power steering was equipped with a variable effect for better sensitivity at high speeds. A bit of electronics was represented in the form of ABS from Bosch . Braking was handled by disc brakes on all four wheels, specifically four-piston calipers with 330 mm discs at the front and two-piston calipers and 300 mm discs at the rear.
The interior of the Lotus Omega is also a bit more luxurious than the classic version. It's important to feel comfortable and look at better quality materials when you've paid nearly £50,000 for a car at the time. The first thing you noticed were the anatomical Recaro leather seats, the wood on the dashboard, the suede-covered steering wheel and the headliner. The comfort systems included air conditioning, analog clock (some versions had an on- board computer instead of a clock) and electric control of all windows.
How is it possible that such a furious sedan was produced for such a short time ? There were several reasons for this, firstly it was outrageously expensive, £50,000 was a sum that just about anyone could not afford to pay, secondly it was the maintenance and servicing of the vehicle (overhauling a damaged engine could go up to £15,000) and thirdly the very basis of the Opel Omega was the reason. Opel simply did not have as big an image as Mercedes or BMW. On the other hand, the owners of Lotus Omega knew what a gem they had at home, and today the price of preserved pieces is around a million crowns . It is an inconspicuous angular Opel, but it puts to shame anyone who gets in its way, and its exclusivity makes it a real shining jewel .
