Monday 26th October 2009

Ultima Beats Ferrari FXX On TG Test Track

Video: Ultima GTR720 beats Schuey's FXX time around Dunsfold aerodrome

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Ultima says it's faster than the FXX

When Michael Schumacher set a new record at the Top Gear Test Track with the Ferrari FXX, the guys at Ultima were pretty sure their car could beat it.

However, despite repeated approaches to the Top Gear production team, the British sports car maker has not been given an opportunity to 'put up or shut up' by the programme.

So taking matters into their own hands, Ultima hired the aerodrome circuit when Top Gear wasn't using it, and set about making their point. The resulting video shows a fully road legal Ultima GTR270 shaving the best part of a second of Schuey's FXX time around the track - with the 1min 9.9sec time being independently verified, according to Ultima. You can check the lap out for yourself below:

[Droptheclutch]

Brilliant - love it.

If you're a Brit you just got to be proud as punch about this. Is there anything qicker A to B (from the factory) than this that can be driven on normal roads?

[White-Noise]

Typo - GTR720, not GTR270

Is this a renewed attempt - I had seen a video of the Ultima thrashing the record a while back, but perhaps that was the 640... either way it bugs me how it is not allowed on.

[nonuts]

looks like traction can be fun in that one

[Roop]

That is ruddy quick. No fannying about. No trick kit. Just good old fashioned grunt and grip. Like it.

[EDLT]

I don't believe it, the FXX was on slicks when it set that time. The Ultima can't have been on road tyres, its only a second off a DBR9!

[Beefmeister]

Surely TG can't ignore this now - a British company beating the Schuey time - they've got to either acknowledge it, or get the GTR720 on the show to prove it...

[HRG.]

That was fking brutal

[dean_ratpac]

I'm sure they're listening - just not entertaining it. you never know there might be something else behind it all.
nice one for Ultima going their own way to prove the times.

[Spokey]

Very impressive!

[RobM77]

Well done Ultima

No doubt Top Gear are trying to work out if it counts as a production car or not To be quite honest, it's far moreso than the FXX - you see Ultimas being driven on the roads now and then, which is enough for me. Plus it'd be entertaining to see an Ultima on there, even if they don't stick it on the board permanently. I'd like to see it race a Veyron to 150mph

[The Black Flash]

Nice one guys, again

[james328i]

Spotted one of these on the way to Silverstone a few months back. I didn't even know what it was.

[darth_pies]

dean_ratpac said:

I'm sure they're listening - just not entertaining it.

I think Ultimas problem as far as TG goes is that it is just the wrong side of the divide between production cars and kit cars.

Whereas Caterham sell fully factory built 'production' cars, I don't think Ultima offer anything except kit build? (do they?)

Looking at the GTR page on Ultima's website, its just a list of kit options and parts....with no 'complete' price quoted that i can see. Exactly how much does it cost me to buy the same car shown in the video off the shelf? They never seem to quote prices!

That is going to be a problem as far as TG is concerned. If there is no 'standard' factory version of the car then its incorrect to say that 'The Ultima GTR does a time of X seconds around the track'.....actually all that is true is that this particular one-off example has been built to do that time.

i.e. its a kit car.

[RobCrezz]

Wow, cant deny the speed of that!

[Robert060379]

Dear Santa I've been a prety good boy this year (Ah-hem).......etc.....etc

Any idea who the test pilot was? The Stig was working in America at the time that was filmed.

[jon-]

EDLT said:

I don't believe it, the FXX was on slicks when it set that time. The Ultima can't have been on road tyres, its only a second off a DBR9!

They could have put on some really soft Kumho V70a's or something that would have been destroyed after a few laps, but that looked to have loads of traction...

[crb]

They should make a feature out of it,

Clarkson says at the beginning of the show "Later...we're going to beat the top gear track record in this" camera pans to a load of boxes full of parts. Then have a feature of them arseing about in a shed building it, and generally taking the p1ss out of JM who will take it far to seriously. Then at the end of the show they put the stig in it and trash it round the track.

[Jont999]

As I understand it, the first time the 720 went around it was on road tires and this times was on slicks.

Can you hear that? It's the sound of Clarkson no caring.

Shame as it'd be awesome to have a British car at the top of the board.

[[AJ]]

I really don't understand why TopGear wouldn't want to showcase a British manufacturer like this? Surly trumping the Italians is exactly what they would want to do?

[dnatuner]

That Ultima is simply awesome, if it can get over a speedhump then it should be put round the track by topgear, will it get over a speedhump though?