MG METRO TURBO
Catch me if you can
OPEL OMEGA LOTUS
Destination: Planet Earth
YEAR: 1991
With a form resembling that of a bodybuilder, this Opel looks like it could transform into one of the merciless Decepticon robots at any moment. Car chases, supersonic jet battles: such are the challenges Omega Lotus faced in the course of its commercial life, where myth merges with reality. But one thing is certain: it has always been the bad guy.
Under the austere disguise of a comfortable executive saloon, there is an ill-concealed hunger for speed, a dare to reach the higher end of the speedometer. 377 hp and over 280 km/h: the Autobots have been warned.
Historical background
Simply the be(a)st
At the end of the ’80s, the executive saloon market had a key role within a brand: not only for sales volume, but also due to the image such products projected on the brand and the rest of the range, which were influenced by the charm of a model “unreachable” in economic and performance terms. The most undeniably effective part was their collaboration with sports car manufacturers that granted them a prestigious allure, irresistible for potential buyers. Amongst the most famous were the Thema 8.32 (“featuring” Ferrari), and the Mercedes 500E (assembled by Porsche).
In 1989, General Motors—owner of several brands, including Opel and Lotus—asked the British company to modify the German Omega, quite widespread at the time. The mission: flexing their muscles to the competition, showing the potential of a rapidly expanding group.
Lotus engineers immediately started trying to fit the huge 5.7 L V8 of the Corvette C4 Zr1 (developed by them) into the three-box car. However, the dress rehearsal was an overall failure, with the exception of the six-speed manual transmission. The English tuning experts then settled for the smaller 3L of the standard Omega, bringing it up to 3,600 cc and adding two Garrett turbochargers. The alteration obviously did not stop at merely adjusting the engine. Lotus completely transformed the Omega, working on chassis, wheels, suspension, axle track, transmission, differential, exhaust system (etc.), and equipped the saloon with proper fighting armour, including: splitter, side skirts, spoiler, and additional intakes.
The Lotus Carlton, as it was marketed by Vauxhall, was built in Hethel (as stated in the chassis number), and not in the Opel factory in Rüsselsheim. This said a lot about the intentions to develop a serious project with great use of resources from the embryonic stage, through tests on track, to its presentation at the Geneva Motor Show in 1989.
At the end of the ’80s a car was built, destined to mark a historical moment in the agenda of car enthusiasts: the Opel Omega Lotus, or simply Lotus Omega—a starship designed to put down Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini fans.
Around 950 vehicles were produced between Omega and Carlton (the latter with right-hand drive).
Technical specifications
- BODY STYLE: 4-door saloon
- SEATS: 5
- LENGTH: 468.6 cm
- WIDTH: 193.3 cm
- HEIGHT: 143.5 cm
- WEIGHT: 1,663 kg
- ENGINE: Lotus twin-turbo
- DISPLACEMENT: 3,615 cc
- POWER OUTPUT: 377 hp
- FUEL TYPE: Petrol
- DRIVETRAIN: RWD
- TRANSMISSION: Manual
- SPEED: 283 km/h
Driving experience – Don’t call me Opel!
Thinking of this car as an Opel is really hard. Not only because hardly the shell of the Omega was left, but because the transformation carried out by Lotus was such that it makes it difficult to compare it with the original. Starting from the price: 116 million liras against the 60 of the Omega top model (3.0 24v), it was a considerable jump, almost insane, but not unjustified. The sporty attitude of this model, its aggressive aesthetic barely concealed by the gorgeous Imperial Green (the only colour available) bring to mind the Junoesque curves of Dita von Teese’s voluptuous shape, barely contained in her gown. The tyres, 235/45 in the front and 265/40 in the rear mounted on 17’’ rims, carry the impressive body embellished with wheel arches quite well from any angle.
On the road, the Opel Omega is almost always well under control, making for an easy drive until it reaches around 3,000 rpm. Although the clutch pedal is a little hard, one can truly enjoy a leisurely drive at these speeds. If, however, you decide to step on the gas, driving will become significantly more demanding—despite the tyres mentioned above and the rear Multilink suspension, a peak torque of 557 N m is a lot to manage, even for experienced drivers. After all, at the end of the 80’s a Ferrari Testarossa, the sports car par excellence, reached a top speed of 290 km/h… For this reason, the Opel Omega was the focus of a rather animated debate between trade magazines of the time and the British Parliament (yes, the British Parliament: watch the video,) on the point of producing a family car with this kind of performance. Add in a few sensationalist News stories, such as when some robbers were seen fleeing on a Lotus like this, and it’s easy to understand the rapid rise in popularity of this model. In short, a myth was born.
Despite its bold introduction in terms of performance, I believe the Omega Lotus does not need to be driven aggressively, but rather, one can enjoy driving it at leisure. In spite of the “handsome rogue” character that inevitably contributed to make it a coveted object of desire, this car is perfectly capable of peacefully rolling by on its magnificent wheels, revealing its spaciousness and versatility.
Sure, since it is a saloon we are talking about, I could write a few more lines about how much fuel the car consumes and how comfortable it is to sit in, but looking at those pictures: why bother?
Passione Classica’s Opel Omega Lotus
This Opel Omega has travelled around 145,000 km in 30 years. The previous owner was a true enthusiast and took great care of it. I verified that the turbochargers were disassembled and inspected, and the brakes and differential are also in excellent condition.
German to the core, it still has all its handbooks with the original document holder and the parent company provided the Certificate of Provenance (by the way, have you seen the pictures of the box containing the certificate? Plain paper my foot! This is true “heritage”.) Additionally, three unobtainable binders used at the time in authorised workshops have been included with the car’s cross section and instructions for repairs and maintenance.
New exhaust, complete tune-up and restorations for a total of 4,500 euros. You just need to drive it.
Driving experience – Don’t call me Opel!
Thinking of this car as an Opel is really hard. Not only because hardly the shell of the Omega was left, but because the transformation carried out by Lotus was such that it makes it difficult to compare it with the original. Starting from the price: 116 million liras against the 60 of the Omega top model (3.0 24v), it was a considerable jump, almost insane, but not unjustified. The sporty attitude of this model, its aggressive aesthetic barely concealed by the gorgeous Imperial Green (the only colour available) bring to mind the Junoesque curves of Dita von Teese’s voluptuous shape, barely contained in her gown. The tyres, 235/45 in the front and 265/40 in the rear mounted on 17’’ rims, carry the impressive body embellished with wheel arches quite well from any angle.
On the road, the Opel Omega is almost always well under control, making for an easy drive until it reaches around 3,000 rpm. Although the clutch pedal is a little hard, one can truly enjoy a leisurely drive at these speeds. If, however, you decide to step on the gas, driving will become significantly more demanding—despite the tyres mentioned above and the rear Multilink suspension, a peak torque of 557 Nm is a lot to manage, even for experienced drivers. After all, at the end of the 80s a Ferrari Testarossa, the sports car par excellence, reached a top speed of 290 km/h… For this reason, the Opel Omega was the focus of a rather animated debate between trade magazines of the time and the British Parliament (yes, the British Parliament: watch the video,) on the point of producing a family car with this kind of performance. Add in a few sensationalist News stories, such as when some robbers were seen fleeing on a Lotus like this, and it’s easy to understand the rapid rise in popularity of this model. In short, a myth was born.
Despite its bold introduction in terms of performance, I believe the Omega Lotus does not need to be driven aggressively, but rather, one can enjoy driving it at leisure. In spite of the “handsome rogue” character that inevitably contributed to make it a coveted object of desire, this car is perfectly capable of peacefully rolling by on its magnificent wheels, revealing its spaciousness and versatility.
Sure, since it is a saloon we are talking about, I could write a few more lines about how much fuel the car consumes and how comfortable it is to sit in, but looking at those pictures: why bother?
Passione Classica’s Opel Omega Lotus
This Opel Omega has travelled around 145,000 km in 30 years. The previous owner was a true enthusiast and took great care of it. I verified that the turbochargers were disassembled and inspected, and the brakes and differential are also in excellent condition.
German to the core, it still has all its handbooks with the original document holder and the parent company provided the Certificate of Provenance (by the way, have you seen the pictures of the box containing the certificate? Plain paper my foot! This is true “heritage”.) Additionally, three unobtainable binders used at the time in authorised workshops have been included with the car’s cross section and instructions for repairs and maintenance.
New exhaust, complete tune-up and restorations for a total of 4,500 euros. You just need to drive it.
Price
€ 68,000.00
The cars in my garage
