Look forward to that Rich

 

Oh yes - a productive weekend!

 

He did

I likened it to being picked up and physically thrown down the road. It was powered by a 600bhp 6ltr supercharged Chevvy LS2, which was detuned from 800bhp.

The guy who got me into racing has built 2.

They're essentially top-flight kit cars in the same vein as Gardner Douglas (give me a GDT70 anyday though). Ultima was Lee Noble's creation so they handle well, can take big power and if built correctly and without compromise, will be reliable.

But that's the rub - built correctly.

Ultima provide new parts for everything that matters, you then source an engine (most builders go for a 'crate' engine from the US, ie. a brand new engine in a crate) and transaxle (don't buy one without a Porsche G50 transaxle, the surest sign the builder skimped is if it's fitted with a Renault transaxle) along with other sundries. The factory also do turn-key cars, and if I were you Pete, that's where I'd be going first - they'll also know of good ones for sale if you don't buy direct from them.

The engine should be a Chevvy LS model, avoid Rover or BMW engined cars. The Chevvy is a pushrod V8, and while most manufacturers left pushrods behind long ago, Chevrolet tried newer head designs and found they could make as much power with a simple pushrod but without the complexity of overhead cams and chains - the engine is solid, simple and reliable, and will output from around 350bhp in standard LS1 form, to well over 1000bhp in supercharged LS7 form with pretty much anything in-between.

It drives like any other GT car, very well balanced front to back and unlike the Exige, the engine is further toward the middle of the car - this however means that it can be quite twitchy - get on the power hard out of a corner and it will spit you off in a second. The torque from the engine is immense, even in a 'standard' 350bhp LS1 car, big capacity engines never disappoint on that score. That said, it's much better balanced than most road cars, the layout is pure mid-engined racer, they're reliable if they're built properly and they turn heads like nothing else.

And nothing on earth sounds as good as a tuned American V8.

 

 

yeah I wouldn't be cutting any corners

they are not exactly common, so most cars are 'known' in one place or another

I am vacillating between supercharging the M5 and the Ultima

both would be circa 600bhp but the latter would be warp speed

but the former would be about

 

While supercharging the M5 would be awesome (and I always applaud such things) I still think the Ultima would be much for satisfying as a toy. Sense of occasion and all.

But the thought of punishing supercars in a big saloon is far too tempting

 

look at these numbers........

http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/Conten...?f=performance

 

30-70 in 1.8 seconds

That is utter madness.

I can't even imagine that.

It seems to be able to do 0-100 and back to rest again in almost the same time I can hit 100!

Where do I sign?

 

Yeah yeah, but where are the in gear times?

Supercharging the M5 seems wrong somehow, especially if it's as mint as I imagine it is.

It has to be the Ultima

 

I've never driven one, but I'd love a go. They look brilliant.

I've seen lots at track days, but they never go very fast on the track (I dont know why this is , as they are undoubtably quick, maybe the owners cant drive well enough?), and always seem to break down.

I think if you get one, you've got to get a high power version ~600hp. no point in doing something by halves.

I cant imagine them being any good on the road though, I'd imagine they are harsh , uncomfortable, noisy, probably the worst car to choose for a continental blast. But thats just my perception, maybe they'd be quite good