Ultima GTR

Ultima GTR
Overview
Manufacturer Ultima Sports Ltd
Designer Lee Noble (preceding Sports model) and Ted Marlow[1]
Body and chassis
Class Sports car
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Dimensions
Length 4,000 mm (157.5 in)
Width 1,850 mm (72.8 in)
Height 1,070 mm (42.1 in)
Kerb weight 990 kg (2,183 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Ultima Sport
Successor Ultima Evolution

The Ultima GTR is a super car manufactured by Ultima Sports Ltd of Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, and described by commentators as a supercar.[2][3] The car was available both in kit form and as a "turnkey" (i.e. assembled by the factory) vehicle until early 2015, when it was replaced by the Ultima Evolution. The design is mid engined, rear wheel drive layout, with a tubular steel space frame chassis and GRP bodywork. A convertible version called the Ultima Can-Am was also produced. Kit builders were free to source and fit a variety of engines and transmissions but the Chevrolet small block V8 supplied by American Speed mated to either a Porsche or Getrag transaxle was the factory recommended standard, and this configuration was fitted to all turnkey cars.

Performance

2005 model

Ultima focused their marketing efforts on record-breaking activities using a model equipped with a 640 bhp (477 kW) American Speed engine, called the Ultima GTR640, and subsequently, a 720 bhp (537 kW) engine called the GTR720. As a result, they established the following official, independently verified records[4] for a production car equipped with road tyres and exhaust:

Due to its kerb weight of 990 kg (2,183 lb),[5] the power-to-weight ratio for the GTR720 is 727 hp (542 kW) per tonne, which is a better ratio than the Bugatti Veyron, Enzo Ferrari, Ascari A10, Koenigsegg CCX or CCGT, but less than the Koenigsegg CCXR or the Caparo T1. However, the Ultima chassis is rated for engines up to 1,000 bhp (700 kW) and some of Ultima's customers have fitted engines producing 1,000 bhp (700 kW) or more,[6] for a power-to-weight ratio of over 1,000 hp (746 kW) per tonne, which is approximately twice the power-to-weight ratio of the aforementioned cars and nearly the same as the Caparo T1's (1170 hp/tonne, but this is a "dry" tonnage and the hp/tonne would be reduced once oil, coolant, gasoline, etc. are added, compared to the Ultima figures above which are "wet" weights).

The GTR720 was independently timed lapping the Top Gear test track in 1 minute 12.8 seconds, which is at least 1 second faster than all other times listed on the Top Gear television programme's Power Board.[7][8][9] In October 2009 Ultima set another time of 1 minute 9.9 seconds, but this time in a configuration not suitable for use on public highways. Ultima have been keen to point out that this time is faster than those set by both the Ferrari FXX and the Caparo T1; of which neither were deemed to be acceptable road cars by the Top Gear presenters shortly after these times were set.

In 2011, Romanian workshop Black Falcon Cars mated an Ultima GTR chassis and a modified Porsche GT3 transmission with a Chevrolet V8 turbocharged by Nelson Racing Engines to achieve 1,716 bhp (1,280 kW) on racing fuel and made it fully road legal under the brand name Black Falcon SBC-TT1750.[10][11]

In 2015 the GTR and Can-Am names were retired and replaced by the Ultima Evolution range, which represents a complete reengineering of the package.

Notes

  1. ↑ Webster, Larry (April 2000). "Ultima GTR". Car and Driver. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Ultima GTR - officially the fastest super car in the world". Society of Automotive Engineers. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  3. ↑ "British supercar sets new world record". Channel 4 - Car. 2006-06-06. Archived from the original on 2008-05-28. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ultima smashes world record - again". PistonHeads. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  5. ↑ "Current GTR Demonstrator". Ultima Sports Ltd. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  6. ↑ "Jeff Schwartz's Twin Turbo Ultima GTR". Jeff Schwartz. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  7. ↑ "Top Gear Power Laps". BBC.com. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
  8. ↑ "Top Gear Track, Great Britain". Fastestlaps.com. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  9. ↑ Vijay Pattni (2007-10-30). "Ultima GTR smashes Top Gear lap record". Auto Trader Digital. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  10. ↑ "The Black Falcon SBC-TT1750". Luxatic.com. 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  11. ↑ "Black Falcon Cars". Black Falcon Cars. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
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