Statistics can be misleading, but in the case of the Ultima GTR720 the 0-100-0 time paints a pretty clear picture.
At 9.4 seconds
the Bugatti Veyron and the Ferrari Enzo are 0.5 and 1.5 seconds slower respectively.
The car from Hinckley also boasts the following acceleration figures: o-60 in 2.6 seconds, 0-100 in 5.3, 30-70 in a disturbing 1.8, and 100-0 in 3.6. It's also covered the standing quarter mile in 9.9 seconds, has generated 1.176g on the skid-pad, and is even claimed to have lapped the Top Gear test track over six seconds faster than an Enzo. So in short they go like a buttered sow and slow down and grip somewhat better...
This one, sadly, isn't a GTR720, but with a claimed 550bhp on tap it should still provide borderline-hypercar performance for £70,000.
It appeared in our classifieds
recently and was originally advertised here on PH as an unfinished project (not for the first time, the builder ran out of funds...) with about 60% of the work done. PHer philcerb bought it and completed it, with a lot of help from
LS Power
, who also built a revised LS7 motor for the car.
The body was removed and the aluminium interior panelling was re-done. The originally intended Hewland gearbox was dropped in favour of a Porsche G50 (with a taller top ratio which has been calculated to be good for 204mph) with a heavy duty clutch, and AP Racing brakes were selected to bring the whole lot to a stop.
According to philcerb the result is that this 550bhp, 1050kg car can go from zero to 160mph and back again within one mile...two-up...and with full tanks. All on a runway of course.
A quick call to the factory revealed that one particular customer has fitted a twin-turbo version of the LS7 with a reputed (and entirely believable) 1200bhp in his Can Am-bodied Ultima, which has resulted in a claimed top speed of 247mph. Not bad for a car that could be built for a fraction of the price of a Koenigsegg.
However despite the stats and superlative performance, there are the inescapable issues of impracticality and acute lack of ride quality. There are of course other virtually brand new performance cars for £70,000 which are slanted slightly more in favour of comfort. There's this for starters.
You'd have to make do with just 385bhp, and as fast as the Porker is you wouldn't be able to boast any performance records, although that trip you've been planning to the Nurburgring would be infinitely more comfortable and probably wouldn't necessitate a spell at the chiropractor on your return. Also, your passenger would probably appreciate things like carpet and the fact that there would be some measureable physical distance between the two of you.
Come to think of it, despite the power and performance of the Ultima, in the real world you'd have to be mad to pick one over the Carrera. Wouldn't you?