RE: PH Heroes: Ultima GTR

RE: PH Heroes: Ultima GTR

Monday 24th November 2008

PH Heroes: Ultima GTR

It's a Le Mans lookalike that gives hypercars a hard time. PH drives the Ultima GTR...



The Ultima is rather annoying really. For years it seems that everything the established billion-dollar supercar manufacturers try to do this tiny British carmaker goes one better. Porsche and Ferrari build this car that goes that fast on a state-of-the-art test track, but then Ultima comes along and goes faster on a bit of disused runway with tufts of grass poking through.

It’s the motoring equivalent of the cyclist Graeme Obree, who joined a who’s who of legendary cyclists by breaking the Hour Record on a bike he made from an old BMX and washing machine parts. No matter how much cutting edge technology is stuffed into the latest hypercar, the build-it-yourself Ultima always seems to be there.


Ultima makes two cars, the GTR and Can-Am, and the company’s roots go all the way back to 1983. Automotive engineer extraordinaire Lee Noble originally set the company up as Noble Motorsports Ltd and the first car was perhaps predictably called the Ultima MK1. It may have looked like a Le Mans car for the road but under the skin things were a little more humble. It had a square tube space frame chassis, Ford Cortina front uprights/brakes/steering, Austin Princess radiator and Renault front uprights/brakes on the rear.

The V6 engine and transmission were taken from a Renault 30. The MK1 became the MK2 in 1984 and Noble Motorsports’ own rear suspension was used along with Lancia Beta rear brakes. Ted Marlow was Ultima’s first customer and took delivery of a red MK2 fitted with Ford’s 3.1-litre V6 Essex. Before long Marlow re-engineered his MK2 to accept a small block Chevrolet V8 coupled to a four speed Porsche transaxle.

He also decided to trim off a large section of the car’s rear to create the look we are familiar with now. The MK3 was launched at the end of the eighties still using Renault V6 power and donor parts. In 1991 the TAG McLaren Group purchased two Ultima MK3 kits from Noble to use as prototypes during development of the F1 supercar.


In 1992 Marlow purchased the rights, jigs and moulds for the MK2 and MK3 from Noble. By 1997 the company, now called Ultima Sports Ltd, had sold 150 cars and moved to a larger custom built premises in Hinckley, Leicestershire. In 1998 the company started work on the Ultima GTR, which was to be a far more refined and powerful car than anything the factory had produced before. This was joined by the Can-Am, which was basically an Ultima Spyder.


In 2004 a standard production spec 640bhp Ultima GTR driven by Richard Marlow demolished the world 0-100mph-0 world record, as well as claiming new world speed records for accelerating from 0-60mph and 0-100mph while it was at it. By 2006 Richard claimed the 0-100mph-0 record for the third time and the following year the GTR720 unofficially beat the Top Gear lap record by almost five seconds.

Sounds quick, but I decided I needed to find out what this supercar-slaying performance felt like for myself. PHer Pete Taylor, aka LuckyP, came to the rescue with what must be one of the finest Ultimas in the country. He built it himself and it is finished in sinister black with the same carbon fibre alloy wheels as found on a Koenigsegg. It is covered in bespoke touches that Pete has added himself, such as a reversing camera, and various other bits that have been pinched from various Toyotas.

We meet at Brands Hatch and straight away I am taken with just how nicely proportioned the car looks. Low, purposeful and with a dash of Porsche 962, although much smaller. The car is made from GRP (carbon fibre was tried but dropped in favour of this original construction) and power comes from a Chevy 6.3-litre V8. Power varies but straight out the box the GTR has 534bhp and 528lb ft of torque, with the power fed through a Porsche G50 five speed manual ‘box.


0-60mph takes less than three seconds, 0-100mph a smidge over five seconds and depending on the gearing you will be looking at a top speed in excess of 220mph. After establishing that I am understandably the first person apart from Pete to have ever driven the car I squeeze myself ungracefully into the cockpit. It’s small but there’s a surprising amount of headroom and more than enough legroom.


The gearstick is on the right, racer style, and has a precise rifle-bolt action that is easy once you get used to it. Pulling off is a tricky affair because thanks to a racing clutch you need to get the right balance between stalling it and cannoning into the nearest wall. I manage to get away, feathering the throttle on to the main road. You may as well be sitting on the front bumper, such is the position of the cockpit, although this gives a great 180 degree view out of the curved front windscreen.

The huge amount of torque on offer from that massive V8 means that the Ultima is driveable at low speed, but it also means that there is razor-sharp throttle response and grunt from virtually any speed in any gear. The car has been set up with a reasonable amount of camber on the front wheels to make it an effective track weapon but this means there is a daunting amount of tram lining.

On bumpy narrow back roads you daren’t even change gear in case one arm is not enough to keep the steering wheel in check. But of course a car like this is not designed for shopping runs and comes into its own on smooth fast tarmac. The steering feel is of course incredible, giving you Caterham-like feedback. Pete advises me to take it easy at first on the throttle, so I squeeze it barely half the way down.


The acceleration is immense and unrelenting, a linear wave of V8 power. This is one of those rare cars were the scenery starts to blur in front of your eyes creating a kind of tunnel vision. It is blisteringly quick and incredibly focused. Yes, it is hardcore and unashamedly single-minded in its approach to going fast, but this is refreshing.


Cornering is flat and there is an abundance of mechanical grip, although undoubtably the power could overwhelm that whenever you need. It’s an absorbing drive and you have to stay constantly alert not allowing for any lapse of concentration. But this is the beauty of this car – it is never easy but the rewards are endless. While everyone else makes their cars more complicated, Ultima keeps it simple and effective. Which is sometimes all you need…

 

Thanks to MotorSport Vision for the loan of Brands Hatch for the photos!

Author
Discussion

Fetchez la vache

Original Poster:

5,568 posts

213 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
I like the write up but did you forget to post up the conclusion as to whether you actually liked it?

Jakdaw

291 posts

209 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
s/laon/loan/

/me looks forward to this weeks picture-of-the-week...

Edward9000

168 posts

184 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
The quintessential ph car imo thumbup

L100NYY

35,075 posts

242 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
That is one of the best looking Ultimas I have seen.

cloud9

Chairman LMAO

666 posts

194 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
<wants>

Ricky944s2

205 posts

191 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
Saw this very same car at Ragley Hall two years ago, different wheels tho, it was a Porsche Club GB day and I remember the owner brought it into the show area on the admission it had a Porsche Gearbox!!! biggrin Awesome sound of it from memory, and the engine bay was beautiful!!! I have even more respect for the owner now i know he built it himself!!! bowthumbup



Edited by Ricky944s2 on Monday 24th November 17:17

sniff diesel

13,107 posts

211 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
I had the privilage of seeing GTWayne's the other week, the great thing about Ultimas is that no two are the same.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
How much does it actually cost to buy one of these then?

M44TNH

309 posts

208 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
Annoying that Top Gear won't give this car the recognition it deserves with an official lap by the Stig. Guess they don't want to embarrass the £3/4M 'supercars'

Edited by M44TNH on Monday 24th November 17:30

Gold

1,998 posts

204 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
kambites said:
How much does it actually cost to buy one of these then?
http://pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=188 - Used

http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/gtr/prices.html - Parts

http://www.amerspeed.com/scgi-bin/showultimaengine... - Engines

HTH

Daston

6,074 posts

202 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
One day I will build one....one day

Edward9000

168 posts

184 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
M44TNH said:
Annoying that Top Gear won't give this car the recognition it deserves with an official lap by the Stig. Guess they don't want to embarrass the £3/4M 'supercars'

Edited by M44TNH on Monday 24th November 17:30
The problem with the ultima is that there isnt really a set standard so would be difficult to give one an official ultima run.

toohuge

3,429 posts

215 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
i saw Pete's car at the Ultima open day this year, it is a beautiful car and brilliantly executed.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
Gold said:
kambites said:
How much does it actually cost to buy one of these then?
http://pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=188 - Used

http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/gtr/prices.html - Parts

http://www.amerspeed.com/scgi-bin/showultimaengine... - Engines

HTH
That'll be "lots" then. Looks like they sell for significantly less second hand than they cost in parts alone to build.

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

197 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
The one thing I think that lets the Ultima down is the cockpit design. They all look like an afterthought.

The finest example (no offence to LuckyP's car which is lovely) I ever saw was the car z-cars built with the brief to design the fastest car in the world. I'd hate to think how much it cost the owner but it was heavily re-engineered with some simply lovely design touches.

The car had two blown 500bhp 'busa engines offering 4wd and a 900kg weight. Not convinced by the reliability of a set-up but one has to doff ones cap at such a bonkers machine.

cvegas

323 posts

202 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
Great choice of wheels! If you start building one now it could ready by the time it gets warm again...

dinkel

26,884 posts

257 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all

XitUp

7,690 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all

Yes please!
I wonder if you could fit a few turbos in there...

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
dinkel said:
holy crap!!!!!

a bit that's going to sound amazing!

Spiritual_Beggar

4,833 posts

193 months

Monday 24th November 2008
quotequote all
Edward9000 said:
M44TNH said:
Annoying that Top Gear won't give this car the recognition it deserves with an official lap by the Stig. Guess they don't want to embarrass the £3/4M 'supercars'

Edited by M44TNH on Monday 24th November 17:30
The problem with the ultima is that there isnt really a set standard so would be difficult to give one an official ultima run.
I'm suprised at this too!!!!

After all....its British....so surely they would want a British car at the Top of that chart.