We examine this fastest ever production saloon, still, in the main, a depreciating bargain

This four-seater is more than capable of humbling supercars

After buying Lotus in 1986, General Motors put it to work creating a BMW M5 rival. The Carlton /Omega’s 3-litre straight-six was bored out to 3.6-litres, with two turbos bolted on. Inside a bespoke gear casing were the internals of a Chevy Corvette ZR-1 gearbox. The suspension was beefed up, the brakes replaced and a leather interior fitted. A hefty bodykit hinted at the car’s 176mph potential.