Graham Bell reports

534bhp!

However, because the Ultima is so unlike normal cars you can't just jump in and zoom off like you can in mass-produced saloons. On first acquaintance there's a lot to get used to, like operating the sill mounted gear lever with the "wrong" hand and coping with the limited rearward visibility due to the lack of a rear window. And in this particular car there was also the small matter of a 534bhp engine that'll get in to 100mph in under seven seconds to consider…

This is most definitely not a car for inexperienced or nervous drivers (or for that matter shy types, as few things on the road get more heads turning). With so much power and acceleration on tap this is a car you really need to ease yourself into, especially when driving on public roads.

Bulbous

Something else you have to ease into is the body hugging lightweight racing seat, which is both comfortable and very supportive. Once strapped in you can marvel at the view ahead through that big curved windscreen, which is as fantastic as it is unusual. Peer down the valley between the bulbous front wings and you can see the tarmac just feet in front of the Ultima's low nose, making it a very easy car to position on the road.

The driving position is actually better than in some big name mid-engined supercars, with the floor-mounted pedals being only slightly offset and well spaced. However, a clutch strong enough to cope with 500+bhp comes with a heavy pedal, which combined with that right hand gear change (conventional 5-speed gate) means you have to put more physical and mental effort into changing gear than at any time since your first driving lesson.

On the Move

Get the Ultima moving and you immediately notice how responsive and communicative the steering is. The connection between hands and front wheels isn't quite as intimate as in a Lotus Elise perhaps, but with no hydraulic interference and just 2.4 turns lock to lock it delivers both great feel and control. It isn't heavy either, despite the small steering wheel and wide tyres.

As you would expect, the race bred suspension gives the low slung Ultima a firm, roll-free ride, but one that manages to be surprisingly comfortable on the road and only gets harsh over really bad surface imperfections. Combine this with the grip afforded by those fat Pirellis and the result is that - at normal road speeds - previously challenging bends suddenly become easy.

Whooooahhh...

Not that you actually spend much time driving the Ultima at normal road speeds, because with over 500bhp even light throttle pressure produces rapid acceleration, sending you hurtling off to the wrong side of the speed limit. The unassisted AP Racing brakes require pressure, but stand hard on the middle pedal and they'll slow you down from high speed with such ferocity that you'd be catapulted out of your seat if it weren't for the four-point harness holding you in.

Sadly too much traffic and too little time to really get to grips with the car prevented me from giving it large in a Ted Marlow manner. Even so, with so much performance on tap the Ultima still ends up outpacing everything else even when driven conservatively.

140mph

Get it really rolling and the Ultima's high speed performance is aided by its wind tunnel tuned aerodynamics, the car accelerating from 80mph like most cars accelerate from rest and 140mph feeling like a gentle cruise with the car stuck solidly to the road.

Of course the aerodynamic downforce generated by that front splitter and high rear wing is pretty useful for high speed cornering too - as borne out by the fact that Ultimas hold the lap record for road legal cars on just about every circuit in the UK.

For tight "slow" corners, which rely more on the mechanical grip generated by the chassis and tyres, pushing the Ultima hard round and out of a roundabout revealed an ability to stick doggedly to a tightening line at speeds that would have the average production saloon understeering into the scenery.

G Force

There can be few, if any, other road legal cars that can generate so much G-force - whether from acceleration, braking or cornering.

With its combination of awesome performance and remarkably civilised road manners (gear change aside, I found it no more difficult to drive than a Ferrari F355 or Lotus Esprit) there's no doubt that the Ultima makes a terrific toy for both road and track.

Admittedly it's impractical as a daily driver, but it's been very much designed as a road car and as such can tackle car park ramps and speed humps. Hell - the latest GTR version even has somewhere to put your luggage! Not much luggage admittedly, but the two cubby-holes built into the wide sills are big enough to take a sports bag apiece.

£60,000

The car featured here was factory built with all new top performance parts, and the superb standard of finish throughout is a fine testament to the skills of the Ultima team. Buying a car like this fully built will cost you around £60,000, though if you're handy with the spanners and go the kit car route (as most British Ultima owners do) you could build one to the same spec for around £40,000.

Alternatively, if you use more modest second-hand parts you could build an Ultima for as little as £15,000, and while that won't get you quite the same level of performance it'll still get you a car that's quicker than most big name performance cars.

So, if you want a car that will turn the most heads on the road and turn in the fastest laps on the track without costing silly money, check out the Ultima. 

Words and pictures copyright (c) Graham Bell 2001