Officially, the fastest four-door production car in the world when it was launched in 1989, the Lotus Carlton’s twin-turbocharged, 377bhp engine powered the car all the way to 176mph

The 176mph Lotus Carlton has been voted the UK’s favourite Vauxhall in a poll of 630 owners ran by the website vauxhalldriverscentre.co.uk.

The results – which also included votes for the favourite Vauxhall from the last five years – were gathered over a single month and put the Lotus Carlton in first place ahead of the Calibra and Cavalier.

The Lotus Carlton was a technical tour de force for Vauxhall and garnered immense press respect for its power, performance and dynamics. Officially, the fastest four-door production car in the world when it was launched in 1989, the Lotus Carlton’s twin-turbocharged, 377bhp engine powered the car from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and all the way to 176mph.

Favourite model from the last five years was the current VXR8’s wild predecessor, the Monaro, which entered UK showrooms in 2004. Branded ‘…a true rear-wheel drive muscle car for enthusiasts’, the Monaro combined a fiercely competitive price with plenty of standard kit and a 5.7-litre V8 engine.