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).