Could this be Matthew's ideal car??

[028 Sean]

I know you like you're Senator mate, and i know you've got a passion for Lotus Carlton's too so could this be your ideal vehicle??













All the best Sean!

[020 Brad]

Awesome car. Poor pictures.

This is something a bit different but I'm sure most people (if they are anything like me) want to compare the proportions of the "lotus" senator with those of the lotus carlton/omega and see what the senator looks like with the kit and wing fitted. It just annoys me that all the shots have to be arty angles and not just a normal decent 3/4 angle or something.

I also thought that it was a bit stupid that it is auto, but then in thinking of what a senator is it kind of makes sense that it should be auto really. And obviously thats what the owner wanted. Just hope the auto will be happy to take the abuse!

[001 Neville]

Saw this myself at Billing and it looked ok, but was so evidently a "bitsa" car that I didn't think it was all that special I think I have photos I can post up when I get home later.

Would prefer a genuine Irmscher Senator over this myself.

[020 Brad]

Whats the definition of a "bitsa" car?

[001 Neville]

Bitsa this and that cobbled together, but the original cars are more interesting than the final result ...... personal impression! but may be a bit unfair

[020 Brad]

Oh I see. I think I'm a real fan of bitsa's aye. My car is as bitsa as cars get, yet to me its more exciting than a normal chevette, vectra or what ever else you want to take from it. I understand what you're saying though, I mean a Lotus Carlton/Omega really is something else and it would take a truely amazing car to even come close.

Now, back to the Senator in question. WIthout bagging it too much, I can kind of see why they didn't show the full picture now. The kit doesn't quite look right, the wing on the back seems to aggresive for the sedate look of the Senator and the wheels seem to small for those big guards, or perhaps the car just needs a little lowering.

I think its an awesome car, just needs a little something.

[028 Sean]

The kit doesn't quite look right, the wing on the back seems to aggresive for the sedate look of the Senator and the wheels seem to small for those big guards, or perhaps the car just needs a little lowering.

Doh! I've always liked the look of a Lotus style spoiler on the back of a Senator 'B' Brad.....



Thats why my first ever 3.0i 12v Senator B had one made by Mattig fitted to it. The pic's above and below are from 1996/1997 and i think with the Irmscher ATS 18's, the car looks subtle & stylish but i was its owner so i'm absolutely biased on this subject!







Like the spoiler/hate the spoiler, it didn't half make a difference to the high speed feel of that Senator!











God i miss that car.....







I gave that car nothing but abuse and she never let me down!

[025 Dave]

Jesus Sean you could of edited the piccys so your mug wasn't in the shoot. You've just traumatised me kids

[028 Sean]

Jesus Sean you could of edited the piccys so your mug wasn't in the shoot. You've just traumatised me kids

And they were taken when i was young and handsome too Dave.....

[021 Chad]

Forget the kids, your passenger / camera lady looks traumatized enough by your driving .

[020 Brad]

I actually think your one looks better than the other one, I guess that means that its the guards and bumper that makes me think it looks out of proportion. The only thing I would change on yours is probably to put slightly higher profile tyres on.

[028 Sean]

Forget the kids, your passenger / camera lady looks traumatized enough by your driving .

LOL! She deserved it mate. That was my Ex-Misses Kerry, She was an evil cow that was prone to temper tantrums/hissy fits who burn't lots of my pictures and memorabilia when we split up.

Looking back i should have tied her up side down to the bonnet before going out on the track!

I actually think your one looks better than the other one, I guess that means that its the guards and bumper that makes me think it looks out of proportion. The only thing I would change on yours is probably to put slightly higher profile tyres on.

Thank you for the compliment Brad!

The tyres were 235 45 18's as required on the Evo 500's and my car to keep the speedo running true. The suspension was standard Senny springs with GSi 24v shock absorbers, hence why she looks a little high. I tried GSi springs on it which made the stance look absolutely right but it wasn't so good and compliant on the track as it had been so i went back to Senny springs in the end.

What i'm trying to get across is :- At Castle Combe race track there is a famous deadly car killing section known as "Quarry Corner" which strikes fear into the heart of all of us. On that corner, a Lotus Carlton with its trick air pump suspension can go around it at nearly 80mph (129km/h) before either the front end washes out due to understeer or the back end tries to pass the front of the vehicle due to oversteer. Its a great experiance as it feels like the Lotus Carlton is going to scrape its door mirrors on the track as it leans around the corner!

If you take a GSi 3000 24v around this same corner, you'll only manage to do a maximum of 64mph (103km/h) before understeer or oversteer described above will bite ya! This i think has nothing to do with the vehicles performance, more due to the stiffness of the vehicles suspension components.

To prove my theory, my old 3.0i 12v Senator B had just 177bhp (GSi's have 204bhp & LC's have 377bhp) but it could go around Quarry Corner at 72mph (116km/h) which was not as fast as a Lotus Carlton but faster than a more powerful GSi 3000 24v! So, the only mechanical difference between a GSi and my Senny (if you ignore the 30NE v's C30SE engines) was my car had slightly taller and more compliant springs which i think allowed me to corner better than my stiffer, lower springed GSi owning friends.

When my mate Tim fitted Koni adjustable shocks and springs to his GSi 3000 24v, it made matters worse for him!



Those were the days....

Anyway, what i'm trying to say Brad is yes....the car would look better if the tyres met the arches a bit more but sadly doing so did not improve the handling on my vehicle for high speed cornering.

[077 Matthew]

hi guys wow i love that senator sean i think its better than the carlton even tho it basicly is a carlton but i still love it how many of those were built?

[028 Sean]

Officially, none Matt. That Senator B was converted to Lotus spec with nearly the parts taken from a genuine Lotus Omega (possibly number 128D??) and thats why Nev has called it a "bitsa" car mate because its made from bits of a Lotus Omega and bits of an automatic Senator 3.0i 24v CD too.

***WARNING!!!*** "A Lotus Omega died in the making of that vehicle" ***WARNING!!!***

There is a book by Ian Adcock which tells the whole story of the Lotus Carlton from the first design idea to production reality and originally the Lotus version was going to be based on the flag-ship model in the range which at the time was the Senator B!

Sadly the Lotus Senator didn't happen because the Senator B was seen more as the executive choice, so the sportier looking boy racer Carlton GSi 3000 24v was chosen instead as the base vehicle and the Lotus Carlton was born....