Ultima GTR

Infobox Automobile
name=Ultima GTR


manufacturer=Ultima Sports Ltd
designer=Lee Noble and Ted Marlow
body_style=2-door coupeThe Ultima GTR is a sports car manufactured by Ultima Sports Ltd of Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, and described by commentators as a "supercar".cite web | title = Ultima GTR - officially the fastest super car in the world | publisher = Society of Automotive Engineers | url = http://www.sae-uk.org/supercar_gtr.html | accessdate = 2008-02-06 ] cite web | title = British supercar sets new world record | date = 2006-06-06 | publisher = Channel 4 - Car | url = http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=14637 | accessdate = 2008-02-06 ] The car is available both in kit form and as a "turnkey" (i.e. assembled by the factory) vehicle. 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 is also produced. Kit builders are 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 is the factory recommended standard, and this configuration is fitted to all turnkey cars.

Performance

Recently Ultima have focused their marketing efforts on record-breaking activities using a model equipped with a 640bhp American Speed engine, which is called the Ultima GTR640, and subsequently, a Auto bhp|720|0 engine which is called the GTR720. As a result, they have established the following official, independently verified records for a production car equipped with road tires and exhaust:

*Fastest 0-60 mph time: 2.6 seconds
*Fastest 0-100 mph time: 5.3 seconds
*Fastest 100-0 mph time: 3.6 seconds
*Fastest 0-100-0 mph time: 9.4 seconds
*Best performance on a skidpad: 1.176g lateral grip in a convert|200|ft|m|-1|abbr=on circle.
*Fastest road car over the 1/4 mile: 9.9 seconds

Due to its curb weight of convert|990|kg|lb|0|abbr=onEnzo Ferrari, Ascari A10, Koenigsegg CCX or CCGT (but less than the Koenigsegg CCXR). However, the Ultima chassis is rated for engines up to Auto bhp|1000|-2 and some of Ultima's customers have fitted engines producing Auto bhp|1000|-2 or moreFact|date=July 2008, for a power-to-weight ratio of over Convert|1000|hp|kW|0|abbr=on 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 car has been timed lapping the Top Gear test track in 1 minute 12.8 seconds, beating the top time listed on the Top Gear television programme, as set by a Gumpert Apollo S, by over 4 seconds.cite web | url = http://www.fastestlaps.com/track1.html | title = Top Gear Track, Great Britain | accessdate = 2007-12-06 | publisher = Fastestlaps.com ] cite web | url = http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/37372.html | title = Ultima GTR smashes Top Gear lap record | accessdate = 2007-12-06 | author = Vijay Pattni | date = 2007-10-30 | publisher = Auto Trader Digital ] While other vehicles have completed the lap in times faster than this none have been deemed to be genuine road cars by the Top Gear team.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/ Ultima Sports Ltd.]
* [http://www.gizmag.com/go/5832/ Details on the record-breaking 0-100-0 test]