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What car should be the next "Lotus Carlton"?
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:32 pm
by TophaTron
Just looking over some pictures of the Lotus Carlton and it made me remember what a damn fine piece of kit it was. Theres a interview with the new head of Lotus on Pistonheads and he hints that there could be another version of a mass market car, tuned and turned into a beast by the good lads at Hethel.
This set me thinking - what car today would be best suited to the Lotus treatment? I was perhaps picturing a Rover 75/MG ZT V8 - if you bolted on a supercharger you'd see over 400bhp, with RWD and a groovy V8 rumble. Obviously this wouldn't be on the cards thanks to MGRs demise but what else would suit being Lotus-ified?
Chris
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:27 pm
by simon
Monaro VXR or the Holden Commodore
Actually, it's rumoured to be one of the Proton stable so don't go expecting too much
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:09 pm
by r055
I thought the lotus lada was gorgeous!
seriously though... the idea is to take an everyday car and pimp it...
Jag?
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:45 pm
by Bada Bing!
I loved the Lotus Lada too.
I think all cars that don't already have a performance variant are rubbish. I wouldn't wish Lotus' expertise on a Vauxhall or Ford, and there's nothing RWD I can think of that I think could be made good.
I think the only non performance car that I like the look of that I'd like to see sped up is the Toyota Aygo.
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:47 pm
by GregR
ah the lada, spent my formative years being ferried around in a 1500 Riva SE.
Thanks dad....
Re: What car should be the next "Lotus Carlton"?
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 1:16 am
by rossybee
TophaTron wrote:I was perhaps picturing a Rover 75/MG ZT V8 - if you bolted on a supercharger you'd see over 400bhp, with RWD and a groovy V8 rumble. Obviously this wouldn't be on the cards thanks to MGRs demise
These exist - courtesy of Dreadnought in Callander - I've been out in Brian's grey one and it rocks
410bhp no less
One of the Caterham dudes daan saaf has an estate version - he had fun driving back home
Re: What car should be the next "Lotus Carlton"?
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:15 am
by TophaTron
rossybee wrote:TophaTron wrote:I was perhaps picturing a Rover 75/MG ZT V8 - if you bolted on a supercharger you'd see over 400bhp, with RWD and a groovy V8 rumble. Obviously this wouldn't be on the cards thanks to MGRs demise
These exist - courtesy of Dreadnought in Callander - I've been out in Brian's grey one and it rocks
410bhp no less
One of the Caterham dudes daan saaf has an estate version - he had fun driving back home
Aha, i think i've seen one of them in Callander. I drive through through there on my way to my aunts lodge by Loch Tay - I seem to remember it sounded
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:00 am
by alicrozier
Re: What car should be the next "Lotus Carlton"?
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:49 am
by rossybee
TophaTron wrote:Obviously this wouldn't be on the cards thanks to MGRs demise
Aye, but this makes them even more obtainable - ZT prices are thru the floor
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:26 am
by CSK_423
Staying on the Vauxhall theme, what about the Vectra ?
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:55 am
by simon
CSK_423 wrote:Staying on the Vauxhall theme, what about the Vectra ?
FWD
Like I said, Monaro, very cheap for 500bhp and with Lotus help could be superb.
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:27 am
by DaveG
Isn't the Monaro already superb tho?
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:51 am
by tut
I bid on the Lada on eBay, but Stefan Bohm won it at £8K.
tut
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:05 am
by Sanjøy
Monaro is dead now. Went out in a supercharged haze.
Now the SS Thunder ....
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:10 am
by alicrozier
Sanjoy wrote:Monaro is dead now. Went out in a supercharged haze.
Err..you can still buy the VXR500.
Probably not for much longer though.