My Ultima GTR

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RC1807 said:

Wowzers!


Noise level for MOT? Dare I ask.... (I don't care, just wondering )

Just MOT'd without any issues



To be honest tho, I was a bit self conscious when turning up for the test and made sure I didn't press the noisy pedal too often.

Mind you, I got sent a small video clip of me leaving a car meet recently with the car just ticking over so I didn't sound too much like a hoodlum. Apparently it's a fairly brutal noise. I think I like that


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBaRCS6uL3g

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Living out in the sticks means mucky roads in Autumn and I'd previously SORNed it over the past couple of winters but forgot to do that so took it up the driveway and out for a run today.







One thing that always surprises me is that when you actually get in the car and get the harnesses on it really is a fairly comfortable place to be. Admittedly you can look a bit daft getting in and out... but when you're there it's grand.

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Yeah, I stuck with 18's. Personally I think the 19's look a bit too big and bling but on the flip-side the tyre choice for 19's is a bit better.

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SHutchinson said:

Have you done many miles in it this year?

It's a great car, I'd love to have one tucked up in my garage.

This year has been embarrassing. I drove it 15 miles to the MOT and back, I did a round trip of about 100 miles to a car show in June and then yesterday's run of a couple of hundred miles. My insurance renewal came in last week at just over £220 so I can console myself that it isn't costing much not to use it. Must do better tho.

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I'm just a Joe Bloggs driver so in truth the Ultima is a bit scary. I think you'd have to be a good driver to really exploit it on any road other than a Motorway.

There's a lot of power and no electronic aids whatever so brutal acceleration off the line without leaving lots of rubber is a skill I've yet to master. In-gear acceleration is visceral but 70/80mph comes up so quickly you have to back off almost as soon as you prod the throttle. I used to have a 996 Turbo S and didn't think anything would ever feel as ballistic as that but this is. The Type-R is really fast but isn't in the same league. On the other hand it's comfortable, had 4 seats and a boot.

Handling wise, the Ultima is basically a race car for the road so there's a lot going on. It's all fairly harsh and firm with a lot of noise, a lot of steering input (sometimes just to keep pointing forward) and a lot to think about. Not quite sensory overload but the sort of thing that would more naturally be blocked out on track with a helmet. Again being honest, if I were in the Ultima following a well driven Type-R then I don't think I would have the skill or guts to keep up with it on the back roads. The Type-R makes it really easy to go quickly. Ironically tho, almost everything moves over when the Ultima comes up behind it so you almost make good progress by seemingly intimidating everyone out of the way no matter what speed you're doing.

It's hard for me to do much comparison with the Fezza. I just pop the roof down and pose about in it.

Wish it sounded like the Fezza tho.

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e30m3Mark said:

Looks perfect on the 18's to my eyes.

Definitely close to the top of the list once my Lotto win comes. Ideal spec would have a BMW V10 though.

I'm with you on the 18's but like I said above, I think there's a bit more tyre choice on 19's although I think R888's will always be an option.

I've seen posts on the FB group from folk with all sorts of engines including V10s (usually Audi tho I think) and Ferrari V8s and a whole bunch of other left-field ones. Being a mechanical numptie I'm in awe of anyone who can build a standard car, far less going off on a custom build.

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deadscoob said:

Is why I went 19 and absolutely agree they look too big, but having the choice of look better or have decent tyres, it’s an easy, if not bitter sweet choice.

I do get the compromise. I've had to make a similar one with my Stratos build so as not to end up limiting tyre choice in the future.

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And with all this talk of wheels... as if by magic... a pic

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Winter in N.E. Scotland isn't really Ultima driving weather so I've been trying to see how far up the leader board I could get round the Top Gear track thanks to Forza and Xbox

There's a great video of an Ultima GTR smashing a time of 1:12.8 around the circuit which would top the leader board: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJX79qtpM6s

and another run (on slicks) of 1.09.9 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqmDi1m6EB0

Official Top Gear Track top 10
01:13.7 McLaren 675LT
01:13.8 Pagani Huayra
01:14.3 BAC Mono
01:15.1 Ariel Atom V8 500
01:15.1 Dodge Viper ACR
01:15.7 Audi R8 V10 Plus
01:15.8 Lamborghini Huracán
01:16.0 Mercedes-AMG GT R
01:16.1 Porsche 991 GT3 RS
01:16.2 McLaren MP4-12C

Probably fair to say I didn't make the top 10

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First drive for this year.
Petrol and Burgers... food of champions

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Storer said:

If you ditched the orange stripe you would be allowed into a decent restaurant! ??

I'd be happy just to be able to cope with the Drive Thru bit.

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Yeah, B roads keep you on your toes. A bad habit I have is driving too far from the kerb and over towards the the middle of the road because the side windows and wing mirrors are about a foot inboard of the width of the car so you get the illusion that you must be way over to the left. The wing mirror position makes reversing into the garage a leap of faith

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Just to show that there's more than just me running around in an Ultima up here is sunny Scotland, 5 of us met up for breakfast and a run this morning. All the attention was very positive and I'm sure everyone was saying nice comments. If my ears weren't bleeding with all the noise I might even have heard them.

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The factory offered them as an option a couple of years ago and I know there have been a few takers. The 2 roof panels are hinged centrally to aid access and can both can lift out from the central support and it then forms a T-bar arrangement. I’m sure the design allows for the removable panels to fit behind the seats.

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No great update and no great pics.

But... I did take it out the garage for the 1st time this year so thought it worthy of a couple of photos, even if I only went to the supermarket.

Only thing I've changed is that I bought a pair of bluetooth ear defenders things with a mic boom that mean I can listen to streaming music without needing the volume so high that it's like being in a disco and can take phonecalls and almost hear whoever is on the other end over the straight through exhaust.

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Well, it seems like I've been an Ultima owner for 6 years now.

Every drive these days is still as special as the first one was 6 years ago.

I took the car to the petrol station for a drink to celebrate.



And for a bit of fun....

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Embarrassingly it's less than 50 miles between MOTs. Infact the last time I drove it the clutch fluid hose burst so it actually traveled further on a low loader to the garage to be repaired than I've actually driven it this year. Covid eh!! Grrr!!

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Having not driven it since March I'd forgotten how much attention the Ultima gets. 5 mins filling up at the petrol station followed by 15 mins chatting to random strangers just outside the forecourt. Same again popping into the supermarket. It was great to have a proper blast in it tho and I've probably used up the last of the petrol from 2018 that must have been in the tank. Happy days!!

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Hogging my own thread but I guess that's allowed.

Been out and about it the Ultima quite a bit over the last week. Hottest week of the year by far and have never given much thought before to the aircon system in the car but it certainly works well.

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Well, all good things come to an end.

Nearly 8 years of being an Ultima owner ended yesterday when the car went off with its new owner on a safe and uneventful 450 mile drive down south.

It has been a great experience. Ok, I could have driven it a bit more than I did but that's just life stuff getting in the way of car stuff and no reflection on the car.

I'm obviously biased, but I can't think of many other cars with the same road presence and wow factor for the money and that's before throwing the performance into the equation. Also, the Ultima community is a great bunch and you can bet that someone will have a solution to any issue or problem and the banter is almost worth buying the car for.

Highlights have been taking the car down to Stoneleigh kit car show in convoy with some other Scottish owners and meeting up with other owners from all over and admiring all the other cars. I've never had anything other than a positive reaction from other folk on the roads and don't remember ever stopping for fuel without chatting to someone about it, even if it was "how fast does it go, mister"

I think I said earlier in the thread that I'd spent hours reproducing my car on Forza so will still be able to have a bit of fun there.

A couple of my favorite photos from over the years.