Top Gear Test Track record smashed by ?

[F Body]

A British car

Getting ready for lift-off British supercar manufacturer Ultima has celebrated its 15th anniversary in style by shattering the lap record on the Top Gear test track.

The record was held by the Koenigsegg CXX, complete with wing, but the Ultima GTR720 stopped the clock over four and half seconds before the Swedish supercar could cross the line

In order to make the test completely kosher, the Ultima used was fully road legal, with standard tyres, and was even driven to the test track.



According to Ultima's director, Richard Marlow, the company has approached Top Gear on a number of occasions to let the Stig take the wheel of the GTR but have been repeatedly turned down.

So, with their very own benchmark driver at the helm, the independently figured time for the Ultima is so fast that, in a head to head race with a Ferrari Enzo, the 720bhp GTR would lap it every 12 laps.

He also announced that the British firm wouldn't rule out further attempts at lowering the record still further, with their more powerful and faster GTR800 variant.

For the record, the Ultima lapped the track in 1:12.8, making the Koenigsegg's 1:17.6 seem positively pedestrian

[55starchief]

Yup the Ultima is an awesome car, i know we looked at building one a couple of years back after we sold the westfield. The decision was made that seeing as the westfield was sold because of too many drivers thinking they were pro's on trackdays that building a £30k car would be a waste only to use it on the road

[F Body]

Chevy powered too

Well the engine is based around the Chevy Small block

[HardRockCamaro]

Wonder why Top Gear keep turning them down to do it officially???

[55starchief]

Probably because its classed as a kitcar

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Wonder why Top Gear keep turning them down to do it officially???

prob concerned it would embarrass a few rather expensive cars...

[Roadkill]

Fast as hell but as ugly as F*ck !

[Fieldy]

Quoting: Roadkill

Fast as hell but as ugly as F*ck !

My thoughts exactly....

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Wonder why Top Gear keep turning them down to do it officially???

Maby because its a stripped-out racer and not a 'super-car' as such, meaning not a car with air con, stereo etc etc thats super, but a car built for the track..

Although they had something else round the track that was a track car that still went on the board...  

[Fieldy]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Maby because its a stripped-out racer and not a 'super-car' as such, meaning not a car with air con, stereo etc etc thats super, but a car built for the track..

Thing is mate....there are fine lines there, What is 'really' the difference with that, and say, the new Lotus....That has no thrills, is made for the track, but you can general buy it....

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Fieldy

Thing is mate....there are fine lines there, What is 'really' the difference with that, and say, the new Lotus....That has no thrills, is made for the track, but you can general buy it....

Good point..  Its like those stripped-out racer versions of super cars they had the other week you can buy

IMHO a super car should be a top of the range car thats awesome at everything..    Not taking anything away from the Ultima though

[Fieldy]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Not taking anything away from the Ultima though

I am.....It's damn ugly!

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Fieldy

I am.....It's damn ugly!

Go Go Kart

[55starchief]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Maby because its a stripped-out racer and not a 'super-car' as such, meaning not a car with air con, stereo etc etc thats super, but a car built for the track..

there is no reason any of that couldnt be added, i have seen a couple of ultimas built to a very high standard ie full leather interior, i have also seen a couple of zonders (sp) that looked like they had been built by a child

[Pod]

I'd guess the main reason why the Ultima isn't (yet?) on the power lap times, is that it's mostly a build-your-own car with almost endless options.  

In other words, you can't necessarily go out and buy exactly the same thing yourself.

"Stripped out race cars" you can actually buy, are fine.
However, the Aston race car that you can't buy, isn't on the list even though it got a time. Neither is the Harrier.

If you went out and bought a Koenigsegg CCX, you can be fairly certainly you've got the same thing the Stig crashed.

[HardRockCamaro]

Well that Ariel Atom thingy was totally imprctical as are Caterhams (god I hate them).

I suppose it must be the kit car thing, but then sio are Westfields and Caterhams aren't they?

It is pig ugly yes which is a shame as that's where so many kit cars fail miserably...

[55starchief]

Quoting: Pod

I'd guess the main reason why the Ultima isn't (yet?) on the power lap times, is that it's mostly a build-your-own car with almost endless options.

yup maybe i mean the chassis is good for 1500hp although i do think Ultima can supply you a turn key car from the factory for those who dont want to get their hands oily

Quoting:  Ultima Sportscars

Whilst the GTR can be ordered as a turnkey supercar, it is also available in component form, for assembly by the home enthusiast which is how the majority of our customers prefer to purchase their GTR

[55starchief]

as for ugly i thonk its pretty good looking

[Shifty]

This is one of the greatest cars ever made, the B6 stealth version is a truly awesome looking car. I have had the ambition of owning a 640R version which held the record for the fastest road legal 0-100-0 for many years now but I think it has just been replaced by their latest offerings.
Lets be serious any car that can see 62 in 2.8 seconds and 100 in 5.5 has to be cool.

For peoples information you can purchase a fully built version from the factory with all the options you could expect to see on a normal car.
These cars can be purchased with air con, stereo system, leather interior and all the other bits you would expect to see in any other supercar.

The reason they don't want to test this vehicle is probably due to the fact it would as phill said embarrass some other manufacturers that charge 100K more for a inferior vehicle.

[art b]

seen lots of top notch ultimas, on their stand at shows, as said b4 you get a lot of value for money,  

[55starchief]

Must admit the build feels solid when i have sat in them at Kitcar shows

[HardRockCamaro]

I'm not so sure on the money thing.

They reviewed the Z06 and said they couldn't see how Ferrari could charge an extra 100k for their car...


I suspect that while it has monsterous performance and is relatively cheap (I suspect they'd have to compare the turnkey car for an apples apples comparison) I assume, perhaps the build quality is low rent, it rides badly, is noisy, terribly unrefined and so on?

Most track cars are not nice as road cars to be fair.

[55starchief]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

build quality is low rent

I have been in many a ferrari with crap interior, have also been in an aston with my mate when he was doing a shakedown before the customer collected his £100k car only for the a pillar trim to fall into my lap as he demonstrated the incredible breaking and finaly a zonda that the fit and finish looked like it was installed by a kindergarden class

[HardRockCamaro]

I have heard Ferraris are like that.
In fact I did see a Ferrari interior in pieces and it was right pikey behind the scenes...

[Pod]

Quoting: Shifty

The reason they don't want to test this vehicle is probably due to the fact it would as phill said embarrass some other manufacturers that charge 100K more for a inferior vehicle.

I very much doubt that's the reason why Top Gear themselves won't run it.
In fact that seems like the ideal reason why they would.

I'd say it's partly due to it not being a set spec, and maybe that if they did run an Ultima and it was that much faster, the manufacturers may decide not to let them have any more cars to test.
They have still not been allowed to test a Veyron round the track...