Launched in 1990, there was a new four-seater executive saloon on the market which was causing a stir, and it came in the form of a Lotus Carlton.

A real wolf in sheep's clothing, the Lotus Carlton had a few giveaway signs it was something other than a Vauxhall Carlton, such as the body kit which gave the car a wider look.

Wider wheel arches and side skirts, and the bumpers were slightly deeper and had huge air intakes to the front, all from factory.

A boot spoiler finished off the rear, two bonnet vents allowed some extra air-flow, and for those that could get close enough, you would spot the Lotus badges to the wings, bonnet and boot lid.

You then only had to hear it to realise the Lotus badges weren’t just there for show.

It was fitted with a 3.6 litre 24 valve twin turbocharged, intercooled engine, and definitely put the Carlton on the map as one of the fastest production cars of the time.

For some comparison, the E34 BMW M5 got from 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds and had a top speed...