1993 Vauxhall Carlton GSi 24V 3.0i from UK and Ireland
Summary:
The only thing better is a Senator :)
Faults:
Timing chain snapped, destroying the engine; faultless until that point.
General Comments:
Fast, reliable (apart from weak timing chains!), can't say enough good things about this car. Now a rare sight on the road, it was only a few years ago I had mine, but now looking to buy another. The body kit wasn't the best looking, I preferred the standard Carlton in CDX or Diplomat spec, but a GSi 24v is the one to have; such good memories.
Cruise control still worked after all those years and mileage, but I did not use it much. Spent most of my time on A-roads in the north of Scotland, leaving many a boy racer in their hot hatches, devoid of any comfort or luxury, in the dust. 0-60 in 7 seconds and a top speed of 150mph might be an average executive car's performance nowadays, but this car just feels so fast, the manual gearbox was the best but I've heard even the autos are fast; just a bit harder to induce drifting though :)
Loved it; shame the timing belt went writing off the engine. If you are ever considering buying one of these classics, do get this checked out (they make a noise when they are weak; the engine should be smooth and silent) or consider a 3.0 12v, which I believe did not suffer from this problem.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th December, 2015
20th Nov 2022, 17:00
The Carlton, Senator, and Omega were some of Vauxhall's most underrated cars ever!