‘What’s really blowing me away is just how capable it feels’: reader thrilled by Lotus Carlton dream drive

[ The List ] Your Dream Drive made real

Andy Hughes has dreamt of driving the Lotus Carlton since his father had a Vauxhall Carlton GL for work in the Nineties. So what does he make of the performance saloon more than three decades on from its original launch?

Words JAMES PEENE Photography IAN SKELTON

As dream drives go, reader Andy Hughes is having a lot of fun. ‘I can’t believe I’m actually driving a Lotus Carlton,’ he says, obviously thrilled. Having waited decades to experience the Lotus-tuned Hethelraiser, Ian Turner’s low-mileage and unrestored example is clearly making an impression.

Earlier in the day, Andy cast his eye over Ian’s big Vauxhall for the very first time at our rendezvous point. ‘The initial thing that strikes me about this is the sheer presence of the thing,’ he says. ‘The 265/40 ZR17 rear tyres are absolutely huge for a car from this era. The wheels still look great too, they’ve aged well – in fact, the whole car has. It’s just so good to see a Carlton in real-life again. It’s still a work of art, even though it’s now 35 years old. The proportions are just so right. It’s an amazing looking thing.

‘I’d go as far to say I think it looks even better now than it did when it was launched. Of course, it does look like a product of its era,’ he continues. ‘You wouldn’t look at it and think it’s a new car, but it has aged so well. And it’s still so aesthetically pleasing. The styling, the Imperial Green colour, it undoubtedly all still works. I think that’s part of the ongoing battle with cars; to build something people aspire to when they’re new, but that also still stands the test of time. This definitely has.’

Climbing inside, Andy is struck by the similarity to the Emerald Green Carlton 1800GL that his dad owned in period. ‘The interior is lovely. Very analogue. The Carlton GSi had a digital dash, but Lotus didn’t want that. This feels more like my dad’s car, only much plusher. It has air con and Lotus badging on the gauges, but it has the same feel. The dash is probably a bit dated, but it was what I expected to see, and goes with the era of the model, taking me fondly back to Dad’s GL.

‘I always really liked that car. I have always been massively into cars. Dad’s Carlton had things like an electric aerial, which was new to me and fantastic. I used to spend hours reading through brochures and looking at the different colour combinations and optional extras. I’d read them in bed, and nowadays I think I’d be diagnosed with something, but I really went to town on cars.’

When Hughes senior brought home the GL as his company car, Andy was riding up and down the road on his bike in complete and fevered anticipation of him returning with it. ‘I was just so excited. It was nothing special – it even had a beige interior! – but it became something I loved. I remember going with Dad to the Earls Court Motor Show and seeing the Lotus Carlton on display, up on a rotating stand. It really was next-level, and one of those “wow” moments.’

At £48,000 new, the Lotus-tuned saloon wasn’t compatible with Andy’s dad’s company car scheme, and it had a big waiting list. ‘The price was insane,’ Andy says. ‘After I’d seen the Lotus Carlton, other cars came along to take my interest away from it, and I forgot about it until the early 2000s when it started to be appreciated again. When I saw this car in real life this morning, it looked so amazingly good. It rekindled my admiration for it.’

Getting comfortable, Andy appreciates the quality of the interior. ‘The seats are really nice. Just how much leather can you get on one seat? They’re so comfy. The adjustment levers are the same as in my dad’s Carlton, and that’s exactly what I had hoped for. The CD caddy is a cool feature, too.’ And with that, Andy turns the Vauxhall’s standard, non-descript key and we’re off.

‘Before letting me loose in it, Ian warned me that the clutch is horrible,’ Andy says. ‘I wondered just how bad a clutch can really be. It has quite a lot of play, and is cable-operated rather than hydraulic, which you can feel because of the movement in it. Ian also says the bellhousings are known to fail because of the way they were engineered; the pulley lever on the clutch mechanism itself can just pop through the housing.

‘Whenever you drive any car for the first time, it takes a few minutes to familiarise yourself with it, but that’s the only thing that has jumped out at me so far.’ Conscious that he doesn’t want to over-rev the big Vauxhall, especially with owner Ian sitting next to him, Andy soon gets to grips with how the Carlton drives and the performance on tap.

‘What’s really blowing me away is just how capable it feels by today’s standards,’ he says. ‘Even on a wet day like today, those 265-section rear tyres are really doing their job getting the power down on the road. Coming down the slip road to join the dual carriageway just now, I was foot down in second gear and the back wheels lit up completely, but it still feels controllable. You can feather the throttle to get everything behaving again.

‘Everything about this car feels very linear. The progression of the power as it comes in is really predictable. There’s hardly any lag in it and the power delivery is so smooth you can really control the throttle. It’s surprising for a car that you look at and expect to be such a big and brawny brute.’

Because of its sheer size, Andy also expects the Carlton to be sluggish and cumbersome, but no. ‘It’s really nimble. That’s partly because when you open the bonnet you can see just how far back Lotus managed to get the engine. I reckon I can probably open the ash tray and touch it with my finger. It’s genuinely surprising how controllable and how smooth it feels.’

Now fully able to stretch the Carlton further, Andy notes how good the sound is coming from the 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six engine. ‘There’s a lovely whine from the turbos as the power builds up. It’s got self-levelling rear suspension too, to keep the camber as upright as possible, which is insane. Not that I’ve been trying to, but I’d struggle to get it going sideways through the bends. That’s the Lotus effect!

‘We’ve been spoilt with power over the years, but this still has bags of urge. Not necessarily just the headline 377bhp; the 419lb ft of torque is immense, too. It kicks in from quite low down, and you can be in a high gear and still get some movement out of the car. It pulls and pulls and pulls. You get to 6000rpm, and you think it’s an old car and it’s going to die off, but it just carries on going. It’s faster in fifth gear than in sixth…’

Shifting through the six-speed ZF gearbox, Andy ponders on the length of the ratios. ‘The gears are so long, probably a bit too long. If the ratios were shorter, it would do a little better on the acceleration front. But that’s why this thing was such a fiend on the Autobahns; it would outrun pretty-much everything. The engine is a true masterpiece; Lotus really smashed it out of the park.

‘Ian has told me that his twin-turbo Corvette C4 has the same gearbox as the Lotus, and it doesn’t surprise me. In 1990 when Lotus was looking for a manual gearbox that could take all this power, it obviously looked to America and sourced a Corvette unit. The lever – also off a ’Vette – movement itself is quite tight, and one of the great joys of this car is that it’s a manual. It’s so satisfying to go up and down the gears. It’s nice and clicky. There’s no porridge here, unlike my dad’s old Carlton.’

Stopping for a short re-group before our drive back to base, Andy drinks in the finer details of the pumped-up Vauxhall. ‘Even by today’s standards, it’s got lots of presence. It looks very purposeful, especially with that rear wing. Lotus did such an outstanding job with the tweaks and the body kit. It’s a brilliant-looking car.’

Truly impressed by Ian’s immaculate machine, Andy takes stock of the day’s events. ‘I can’t get over the condition of this car. It’s a bit emotional. A car that’s so obviously well cared for and with just 15,000-miles on the clock, and its owner is letting me loose in it. It really is like new. It’s even spotless under the bonnet. To own something like this must be a real joy. And most of them have been restored; Ian’s Carlton is still original!’

It’s not just one aspect of the unlikely Lotus that Andy believes is better than any other. ‘This car is so good in so many ways. The looks, the handling, the overall package, the acceleration, the handling and brakes and just how good it feels 35 years since its launch. Especially because underneath, it’s still a Carlton.

‘We’ve had so many people looking and waving at it, because it’s one of those cars that turns the heads of people who know cars and know what this is. As time has gone on and the pool has become smaller – there were fewer than 300 UK cars originally – they’ve achieved Holy Grail status. If you appreciate cars, you understand what this one is about and what makes it so special.

It’s rather obvious the Lotus has lived up to his expectations then, but has Andy enjoyed his dream drive? ‘To get near a Lotus Calrton of this standard and then to be able to drive it, with Ian, who is such a nice guy and clearly loves this car, has been absolutely wonderful. It’s been a day I’ll never forget.

‘A large portion of the value in a car like this is that it’s such low mileage, but you must use cars. You can’t leave them sitting there static as museum pieces. You’ve got to keep them moving, with the fluids running through them, and everything turning occasionally. I’d be more than happy to offer that service to Ian!

‘I’d love a Lotus Carlton of my own, but I’d be looking at some serious money to get into one now, and I wouldn’t want a dog-eared or restored car – it would have to be a car exactly like Ian’s.’

1991 Lotus Carlton

ANDY HUGHES’ TOP TEN

McLaren F1

‘This car achieved god-like status in my eyes, and I didn't have the money for one when they were released. Mostly because I was 12. And I wasn't a millionaire. And couldn't drive. I've been to Gordon Murray's annual soapbox race at his chateau in France – which was an amazing honour in itself – and sat in his own F1 before he sold it.’

Lotus Carlton

‘It doesn't get more peak Nineties brute than this car – and after driving one, you know where my love for this car comes from!’

Aston Martin Vantage V550/V600

‘These cars are a bit marmite in the looks department, but for the time they were over-the-top to the maximum. Big power, big tyres, big looks.’

GMA T.50

‘The engine revs to 12,100rpm. Need I say any more?’

Ferrari F355

‘This Ferrari has aged beautifully. If I look at an F360 now, I really don't think they've stood the test of time, but the F355 is timeless.’

Porsche 911/993 Turbo S

‘One of the most beautiful sports cars ever made – the proportions and the stance transcends time. I guess this is why Porsche has kept that iconic shape going for so long. Just unmistakable.’

Escort RS Cosworth

‘I’ve still never been out in one of these! Something I need to tick off my list as soon as possible. I love a massive turbo with lots of lag!’

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental

‘I love the design of these. The proportions are really wonderful and they're a work of art.’

Ferrari F40

‘Loved this car as a kid. I was able to get up close to one recently, and at my height I'm not sure I'd be very comfortable in the cockpit, but what an animal.’

Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

‘A stunning piece of design and as a result it's now firmly made of unobtanium for those who haven't made it big.’

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

‘Knight Rider wasn't real but… How could you not want one of these as a kid? The S1 pursuit mode upgrade took it to another level.’

ANDY HUGHES’ CAR CV

2007 BMW M3 (E92)

‘A good car, but for a V8 it had hardly any torque. Happiest above 6000rpm, it loved oil…’

2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG

‘Great value at the time, and the huge V8 was sublime; sounded great and torque forever!’

2016 MERCEDES-AMG C63S

‘This was even more rapid than the previous one and felt more nimble. Such presence, too.’

2019 MCLAREN 570S

‘The test drive blew me away; I'd never really experienced a car that handled so well.’

2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55 AMG (R230)

‘Once you hear one you'll understand why... They're great value now but do need love.’

1990 RENAULT 5GT TURBO

‘Finding a decent one is hard now. This is almost OEM, save for a few modifications for reliability.’

[ Want a Drive? ]

Classic Cars will make a dream drive happen for one reader in every issue. Send us your list of the ten cars you’d most want to drive and why, along with a CV of the classic cars you’ve owned to thelist@classiccarsmagazine.co.uk. Be prepared for the photoshoot glamour of an early start and a long drive to get there.

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