Opel Omega

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opel Omega
Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	1986-2003
Predecessor	Opel Rekord
Successor	Opel Signum Cadillac CTS Holden Commodore
Class	Executive car
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door estate
Layout	FR layout
Platform	V platform
Related	Opel Senator
Similar	Citroën XM Ford Scorpio Peugeot 605 Renault Safrane Rover 800

There was also an Oldsmobile Omega, an unrelated vehicle in the 1970s/80s

The Opel Omega was an executive car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1986 and 2003. Replacing the Opel Rekord, it was voted European Car of the Year for 1987. Like the Rekord, the Omega was produced at Rüsselsheim in Germany. There were two generations of the model, the latter (Omega B) debuted in 1993. The Omega was available as saloon or estate (Caravan).

In the United Kingdom, the Omega A was marketed as Vauxhall Carlton, and the Omega B generation as Vauxhall Omega. The Omega was also built and sold in Brazil badged as a Chevrolet Omega and Suprema (Caravan), but this name is now used for imported Holden Commodores. A badge engineered version of the Omega B MV6 was also sold in North America under the name of Cadillac Catera.

In the UK, the Omega was a common police car. Following the ending of production the closest Vauxhall equivalent now used by police forces is the Vauxhall Vectra. The car has also been converted into limousines and hearses.

Production of the Omega ceased in 2003. There was no direct replacement for it, but the Vectra and Signum can be said to have partially taken over the role of the car.

[edit] Omega A

Omega A

Also called	Vauxhall Carlton Chevrolet Omega Chevrolet Suprema
Production	1986–1993 Europe 1992–1998 Brazil

[edit] Development

The original Omega was launched in late 1986 (production started in September) as a replacement for the Opel Rekord, which had been in production since 1978. The body was designed as an evolution of the previous Opel design theme engineered more towards aerodynamics in view of higher fuel prices and the general drive towards more fuel efficiency. The result was a remarkable drag coefficient of 0.28 (0.32 for the Caravan). The whole development program cost 2 Billion Deutschmark.

The Omega A was available in saloon and estate (Caravan) bodystyles as a competitor for the likes of the Ford Scorpio and Rover 800. Like the late Rekord, the Omega A adopted the Vauxhall Carlton nameplate for the British market. The Rekord-based Opel Senator A was also superseded by the Senator B, based on a similar concept - a stretched Omega platform and body along with some unique sheetmetal modifications.

[edit] Technical novelties

Compared to the Rekord, the Omega featured many modern technological advances, which were new to Opel in general, if not to the volume segment European automotive market. These included electronic engine management, ABS, on-board computer (which displayed parameters such as momentary fuel consumption or average speed), air-conditioned glove compartment and even the then-fashionable LCD instrument cluster (available in some version from 1987 but dropped in 1991). More importantly, the Omega came with a self-diagnose system (which is now a standard feature in present-day cars), whose output could be read by appropriately equipped authorized service stations.

[edit] Powertrains

All Omegas used a longitudinally-mounted engine with a rear-wheel drive setup, with a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic transmission. The engine range comprised of 1.8 L, 2.0 L and 2.4 L four-cylinder units (2.0 L and 2.3 L Diesel, 2.3 L turbodiesel) to 2.6 L, 3.0 L and 3.0 L-24v six-cylinder units.

[edit] Trim levels and special versions

[edit] Trim Levels

The four basic trim levels were LS, GS, GLS and CD (from least to most expensive). The base LS was clearly intended for the fleet market, with the sedan not available to individual customers in some markets. The LS Caravan was also available as a panel van with rear side windows covered with body-colored foil rather than replaced by solid panels.

For the 1991 year, the Omega A was afforded a facelift, which encompassed slight alterations to front and rear fascias, as well as interior materials and additional sound dampening. The until-then base 1.8 L engine was dropped. The LS and GLS trim levels were also dropped, while the CD was joined by Club and CD Diamant.

[edit] Omega 3000 / Carlton GSi

The Omega 3000 was the sports version of the Omega. It featured a straight-6, 3.0 litre, 12-valve engine, which produced 177 bhp. Other modifications from the base model included a lowered suspension and limited slip differential, as well as different fascias and a rear spoiler. The car had a top speed of 222 km/h, and accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 8.8 seconds.

In 1989, the Omega 3000 was upgraded. The engine now had 24 valves, two overhead camshafts, and a variable intake manifold (Opel Dual Ram system). It also used a more advanced engine control unit. Power increased to 204 bhp, which increased top speed to 240 km/h, and 0-100 time dropped to 7.6 seconds.

In countries where the car was sold as a Vauxhall, the 3000 was called the Carlton GSi.

[edit] Omega Diamant

This options package was introduced in 1988 and could be added onto the GLS, LS and CD trim version. It included alloy wheels, metallic paint, tinted windows, stereo with casette player, various leather trim in the interior, as well as a painted grille and door mirrors. It sold well and the package was kept after the facelift and a similar system with the same name was used for the Omega B. [1]

[edit] Omega Edition '88

This was an options package offered as a special edition in 1988. It included metallic paint, alloy wheels, leather trim in the interior as well as tinted windows. [2]

[edit] Omega Serie Sportive

This was an options package for four-cylinder sedans and 6 cylinder station wagons. It included special 5-spoke wheels as well as other luxury items. It was dropped with the facelift.

[edit] Omega Club

The Club package was available on station wagons, and included a ride height adjustment, special seats and other luxuries.

[edit] Omega 24V

[edit] Factory modifications

[edit] Omega Evolution 500

This was limited series model produced together with Irmscher. It was built so Opel could compete in the DTM. The car had a 3 litre straight-6 producing 230 BHP. The car accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds and had a top speed of 249 km/h. The racing version used on the track had 380 BHP, accelerated to 100 km/h in about 5 seconds, and could reach nearly 300 km/h. It did not achieve great success however. [3]

[edit] Lotus Omega/Carlton

In 1989, a high performance version built in cooperation with Lotus was introduced. The car was named the Lotus Omega or Lotus Carlton, depending on whether the base car was sold as an Opel Omega or Vauxhall Carlton respectively. It featured a straight-6 3.6 L six-cylinder engine with double turbocharging. It produced 377 BHP and 557 NM of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission was used (the same unit used in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. The car accelerated to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds and had a top speed of 282km/h (175mph), making it one of the fastest four-door cars ever produced. [4]

[edit] 6-door Omega

[edit] Chevrolet Omega

See main article: Chevrolet Omega

[edit] Holden Commodore

See main article: Holden Commodore

[edit] Conversions and modifications by external companies

[edit] Opel Omega B

Omega B

Also called	Vauxhall Omega Cadillac Catera
Production	1993–2003

The 1994 Vauxhall/Opel Omega was an all-new car with a modern exterior design but a traditional rear-wheel drive chassis. The engine range was all-new: Four cylinder engines were two 2.0 L petrol ( 8V: X20SE with 115BHP and 16V: X20XEV with 136BHP) and a 2.0 L turbodiesel with 100BHP (X20DTH). But the V6 engines (2.5 L (X25XE with 171BHP) and 3.0 L(X30XE with 211BHP)) and a straight six 2.5 L BMW-sourced turbodiesel which was reasonably refined and gave acceptable performance(130BHP) were a far better bet. The top of the range Omega, with the 3.0 L V6, was the most expensive Vauxhall/Opel on the market at £30,000. Transmission options were a 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic GM 4L30-E transmission.

From 1997 to 2001, the top three L saloon was sold in the US as a captive import badged as the Cadillac Catera. The Omega platform was also heavily modified and enlarged as the basis of the Australian Holden Commodore (from 1997).

Late in 1999, the Omega received a facelift and a 2.2 L 16-valve engine was added to the range as an eventual replacement for the 2.0 L. The following year, a 3.2 L V6 engine replaced the 3.0 L V6 unit, and a 2.6 L V6 engine replaced the 2.5 L V6 unit.

During this time, the Omega found itself without any real competition. The demise of the Ford Scorpio (the Omega's biggest rival) left Vauxhall unable to decide where to focus the Omega. Other brands that had competed in this area had largely left the market, leaving the Omega to take on the likes of the BMW 5 Series.

Despite a strong showing, the Omega was never a serious rival to the 5 Series. Production of the Omega B finally ceased in 2003 with no direct successor, although the gap in the Vauxhall/Opel range was effectively filled by more expensive versions of the existing Vectra and Signum ranges.

Photographs of a new Vauxhall/Opel executive car appeared in the motoring press a year after the Omega's demise, though more than two years later it has still yet to go into production. [5]

[edit] Trivia

A 5.7l 'Northstar' V8 engine was to be introduced in 2001 but was cancelled weeks before the official introduction. The reason was concerns about whether the engine was vollgasfest (German, "Full throttle resistant") - the engine might overheat and be damaged if it was driven flat out on the Autobahn for long periods of time. [6]

In "The 51st State (Formula 51)", Movie, 2001. A green Vauxhall Omega GLS 2.5 V6 T-Reg (1994-1999 pre-facelift model) unmarked police car driven by Detective Virgil Kane (Sean Pertwee) chases Felix de Souza's (Robert Carlyle) red Jaguar XJ6 (MK1 model) driven by Elmo McRoy (Samuel L. Jackson). Near the end of the chase, both cars dispute a Mexican stand-off in an alley. The Jaguar wins and the Omega end up wrecked with the left (passenger) door missing, broken front windshield, heavily damaged front-end and the right side totally dented.