Ultima crashed on A264

[redspeed]

Coming back from Wadhurst today there was a very bent yellow Ultima sitting sideways on the A264, along with a couple of other damaged vehicles.

Was this the same yellow Ultima that was at the meeting? I hope the only serious damage was to the cars.

[Doug Phillips]

We saw it to , I think it had just happend before we passed. I think that it was the one at the meet today, the only good thing you can say about it was that nobody was hurt. It did slow me down after that.

[Marc W]

Not good I wonder if it was the one I photographed at the PH show in January, did it have green stripes?

Edited by Marc W on Sunday 17th February 14:29

["JR"]

Not good

as we went back through tonbridge today with a mk2 supra and a intergra there was a bi accident where an abulance had destroyed a punto ? at a guess

[sniff petrol]

Are these Ultima things a bit tricky to drive or something? I saw one have an off at Oulton park last November too, I know that's only 2 bumped but seems a lot considering the very few that were built.

[10 Pence Short]

I did a december track day at Oulton a few years ago, the track was greasy as hell. A chap there in an Ultima just gave up after a few goes as he was finding it hard to keep on the track.

Edited by 10 Pence Short on Sunday 17th February 14:43

[ncs]

I dont know what caused the accident so it would be unfair to comment, but I was pleased to see the driver looked unhurt.

What I can say is that particular corner is very deceptive, we drove along it the other weekend & the police were recovering a car from the ditch that runs alongside the road at exactly the same spot!

It gets very wet there with water running off the fields, & recently its been forming slush in the middle of the road...very scary!

Nick

[Sam_68]

sniff petrol said:

Are these Ultima things a bit tricky to drive or something? I saw one have an off at Oulton park last November too, I know that's only 2 bumped but seems a lot considering the very few that were built.

Anything with that sort of power:weigh ratio and 'track day' tyres that only work when they are up to temperature is a bit tricky in this weather.

I took my Westfield out this morning, since the sun was shining, and nearly spun the thing just leaving my drive... the resultant lurid poweslide (at walking pace, on barely above-idle throttle and revs), combined with the fact that my face was numb after about 3/4 of a mile, persuaded me to make it quite a short drive!

[paranha]

Obvious that a Scam is required--Speed MUST be the reason!!! the earth being washed off fields giving a perfect skid surface has Nothing to do with the off-roads.The local council will confirm this.

Just like the Skid prone road surfaces after a "NON skid surface has been laid with skid inducing Paint markings, after previous accidents at a known blackspot for motorcyclists.

[papercup]

I left Brighton at 7am to miss the traffic and have some fun by choosing a very twisty route through the backroads but ended up driving my RX-7 (420bhp, no traction control, track tyres) to Wadhurst very gingerly indeed...its a bit early in the year and maybe the sun made a few people think conditions were better than they actually were. Plenty of frost and shiny road surfaces made me think twice. That, and understeering round the first roundabout i got to! That was my first warning, and i didn't go looking for any more...

I didn't see the Ultima, but when we left we turned left out of the station car park then left again at the next T-Junction (onto the A267?) and very shortly afterwards saw a modern (under 3 years old i think) BMW sitting on the right-hand side of the road at a side turning next to a evil-looking post. The car was about 20 feet back from the post and the guy was standing next to it on the phone; as i went past i saw the front with a huge V in the front...

Not quite sure what he did, to be honest. It wasn't so much a side turning as a fork off to the right, not a sharp corner, with a triangle of grass with the post on it. With the width of the road we were on, the width of the triangle of grass and the width of the road forking off to the right he had about 60 meters of combined width to choose from. Target fixation?

Be careful out there...

Andy

[dxb335d]

How badly damaged was it? was there similar type cars that could have been at the meet involved. Not many people travelled alone, most in convoys. Hope everyone was ok.

[highflyer]

Just been out for a blat in the Can-Am ( Ultima ) Sun lunch with the wife and all that, and no problem, just gota take it easy, read the road, where the sun has touched the road, dry, where the sun hasn't WET / slippy, its not rocket science. Ultimas arn't any different, just gotta treat them with a bit more respect otherwise they will bite you in the ass.

[shoestring7]

highflyer said:

Ultimas arn't any different....

Don't you mean "Ultima's aren't any different to any other car with several hundred bhp, wide summer performance tyres, no abs, traction control or ASC, and weighing the same as 5 crisp packets"!!!?

SS7

[Wilder]

sniff petrol said:

Are these Ultima things a bit tricky to drive or something? I saw one have an off at Oulton park last November too, I know that's only 2 bumped but seems a lot considering the very few that were built.

I think that was mine (if it was black) Reason was a previous owner was a complete moron in that you shouldnt try altering suspension & messing with things you dont understand. Mine was a death trap when I bought it because of ignorrant meddling.
Basically anything that could be set wrong was, toeing in when it should be toeing out, +ve camber one side, and negative the other , ride heights all wrong -it was plain dangerous & handled on a track like a viking longboat.
Now its been professionally set up by Phoenix Motorsport of Blackburn its superb, so the answer is no, its not tricky as long as its suspension is set up correctly. Also, you really need decent car control to drive one quickly tho. Any big prods with the right foot will push the tail out of course, but for feel and handling its great -you dont get round the top gear track in 1 min-12 secs if its not.

[GTRMikie]

'Twas me. Thanks for your concern. No injuries. I decided to take the "back roads" home due to the congestion leaving Wadhurst. Big mistake! The road was treacherous. I was not travelling very fast but on exiting the corner in the distance (see photos) The rear stepped out. I must have overcorrected because my right rear wheel made heavy contact with the right rear wheel of the Honda CRV. No other vehicles involved. The rear quater of the Ult is totalled. On of the witnesses said I wasn't travelling very fast, so it was just the torque of the big V8 overcoming the available grip that was the problem.









Thanks to all those who stopped and offered assistance. Especially the two guys in the Sapphire Cossie who offered to be witnesses.

Edited by GTRMikie on Sunday 17th February 19:25

[tybo]

Thats a sad sight

At least you're ok.

Some of the roads have been really lethal today.

[john_r]

A sorry sight that could have been any of us with the roads today...

Glad your ok and no-one was hurt!

[vrooom]

look repairable, hopefully.

[sniff petrol]

Wilder said:

sniff petrol said:

Are these Ultima things a bit tricky to drive or something? I saw one have an off at Oulton park last November too, I know that's only 2 bumped but seems a lot considering the very few that were built.

I think that was mine (if it was black) Reason was a previous owner was a complete moron in that you shouldnt try altering suspension & messing with things you dont understand. Mine was a death trap when I bought it because of ignorrant meddling.
Basically anything that could be set wrong was, toeing in when it should be toeing out, +ve camber one side, and negative the other , ride heights all wrong -it was plain dangerous & handled on a track like a viking longboat.
Now its been professionally set up by Phoenix Motorsport of Blackburn its superb, so the answer is no, its not tricky as long as its suspension is set up correctly. Also, you really need decent car control to drive one quickly tho. Any big prods with the right foot will push the tail out of course, but for feel and handling its great -you dont get round the top gear track in 1 min-12 secs if its not.

Nice to know you've got her back together and set up properly Jonathan. We were in the queue behind you that day waiting to be noise tested and you failed the noise test first time round surprisingly.

[E1DJH]

That is not a pleasant sight, and it could so easily have happened to any of us today, but it is always a relief to hear no one is seriously injured.

Good luck with insurance and the repairs