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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
My ultra-rare super saloon is notorious for string of infamous robberies that were never solved – it's a 176mph monster
A PETROLHEAD has revealed the secret history of his extremely rare modern classic motor - claiming the model is infamous in some parts of the country. Car enthusiast Paul Rees is a lifelong fan of the iconic Vauxhall Carlton - a nameplate that spanned decades from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. 5 With a top speed of 176 mph, the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton was seen a saloon car with supercar performance Credit: YouTube 5 Paul Rees, a lifelong fan of the Vauxhall Carlton, uncovered the fascinating and notorious history of his ultra-rare Lotus Carlton Credit: YouTube 5 In 1993, the Lotus Carlton gained infamy as the getaway car in a string of daring robberies, leaving police helpless with its unmatched speed and agility Credit: YouTube 5 Notorious for its involvement in unsolved crimes, the Lotus Carlton once outpaced both police patrol cars and even a helicopter during a dramatic crime spree Credit: YouTube 5 Designed with precision and power, the Lotus Carlton featured twin turbos, a charge cooler from the Lotus Esprit, and a reinforced engine block Credit: YouTube But when he bought an ultra-rare Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, a super saloon with a top speed of 176 mph, he was unaware of its notorious past. Speaking in the brilliant 'Cars that made the 90s - Vauxhall Lotus Carlton', which has nearly 850k views on YouTube, Reese said: 'I've been into Carltons all my life, since I was a kid. 'My dad had one, an estate car, and I just loved the feel of the car and what the car was. 'It's supercar performance in a saloon car.' Read more Motors News Delving deep into the car's backstory, Rees was able to uncover a range of interesting facts about how it was made, its design and why it's considered so controversial. 'So it's got a new drive chain, it's got a new differential gearbox, the block was recast, so it was strengthened because the GSi blocks they were testing kept blowing up, kept splitting because of the power ,' he said. 'They stroked the engine to 3.6 - put mold pistons into it, slipper mold pistons, which brought the compression down. 'The cam shafts are the same, the in-depth valves are the same and the lifters, all the hydraulic valves, all the same as a 24 valve GSi. Most read in Motors 'And then they put the two turbos on with a charge cooler from the Lotus Esprit, and that's what you've got in front of you today.' These days, there are only around 105 Carltons left on the road - and Rees has uncovered a malevolent reason why. I bought £13,000 Bentley only to learn it was once owned by legendary TV host of classic 1980s game show He said: 'Because of its top speed and its acceleration, the government and the police decided to get together and try and get the car banned. 'They didn't succeed thankfully, and that's why the car is on the road today.' The car gained particular infamy in 1993, becoming central to a crime that remains unsolved to this day. '40 RA is a Vauxhall Lotus Carlton that was nicked up in the Midlands, West Midlands, by a gang of robbers,' he said. 'The car was actually used in a number of robberies around the West Midlands for several days and was never caught by the police.' This specific Carlton, stolen from Worcestershire, was used by criminals largely due to its wicked speed - which was more than enough to escape the cops. . 'The police only had little Pandas [smaller patrol cars, such as a Rover Metro] which would only top out at 55 to 60 mph. 'And all they saw was this black Lotus Carlton disappearing in the sunset with a boot full of liquor and cigarettes. 'They never ever caught it.' There are even rumours the car was rapid enough to outpace the West Midlands police helicopter. Rees added: 'They were that brazen, they did a burglary literally opposite the police station and still got away. 'It was later found in a canal in Null, where the thieves had dumped it. 'A barge went over it and crushed the roof in, and that's how they found it. 'But the thieves were never ever caught.' Influx, powered by insurance brokers - offers enthusiasts and petrolheads an eclectic mix of the world's finest cars and bikes, plus rarely seen glimpses of the people and cultures behind them.
The Advertiser
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from:
West Australian
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf , and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2 , the limited edition Nissan GT-R50 , and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi
Perth Now
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera Icon DMC DeLorean Credit: CarExpert Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Camera Icon Daewoo Matiz Credit: CarExpert Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Camera Icon Lotus Esprit Credit: CarExpert Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi
7NEWS
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng.
