Go your Own Way: Ultima GTR beats Top Gear lap record by 4½ seconds
Ultima, one of several dozen independent British sportscar companies and makers of the GTR, could only take so much rejection. The cottage automaker claims it offered its road-legal race-car to the producers at BBC's hit TV show Top Gear several times, only to be repeatedly refused. So Ultima took things into its own hands, brought its latest fire-breather to the same converted airstrip that TG uses for a test track, retained a Stig of its own, and undertook to beat the fastest lap on the track.
Aside from the occasional exception like the Renault F1 car, the current record holder on Top Gear's power-lap board is the Koenigsegg CCX (which Top Gear can't spell). After the Stig famously spun the Swedish supercar off the track, the designers mounted a new rear wing to keep the tail planted, and the CCX set a fastest lap of 1:17.6, which was enough to beat the Ferrari Enzo, Maserati MC12 and Pagani Zonda that previously sat atop the chart.
Ultima drove the GTR720 to the track in full road trim and set a fast lap of 1:12.8, which easily beat the Koenigsegg. In fact, Ultima claims that at that rate, the GTR would lap an Enzo every 12 laps. Dang. Shame it would also beat the Ferrari in an ugly contest, though. Ultima says another visit in the more powerful 800-hp version is in the works.
[Source: PistonHeads]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
nissanfreak87 3:06PM (10/23/2007)
impressive, ugly, and what the heck is up with that 747?
Does anyone else notice that the 747 in the background is sporting a very different engine set up than a regular one?
Maybe TG will drive one now
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ckm 3:59PM (10/23/2007)
It's the 747 from the last Bond film. They used that airport as a stage to shoot the Miami scenes.
why not the LS2/LS7? 6:12PM (10/23/2007)
They modified it because it was supposed to be a Russian or Chinese plane or something, I forget.
Craig 8:09PM (10/23/2007)
That 747 has been there since the new Top Gear came back.
I think it is an engine test aircraft. Those engines are much, much smaller than standard.
Russell 3:04PM (10/23/2007)
Powered by courtesy of small block Chevy
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Jason 3:16PM (10/23/2007)
I'm sure every manufacturer would love to have a handpicked in-house driver rather then The Stig, who has to drive everything with (relatively) little practice time.
It still might have come in 1st, but by a lesser margin.
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Kevin 3:13PM (10/23/2007)
Uglier than an Enzo? Nah. I'm not yet convinced that it's possible to find a street legal *car* that's uglier than that ...thing...
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Russell 3:33PM (10/23/2007)
The looks of the car are subjective, I don't find it particularly ugly. Though FFR GTM looks much better IMO.
Andrew 11:09AM (12/11/2007)
I comletely disagree. In my opinion, the Enzo is the most beautiful car ever made. Then again, I'm an automotive engineer. Leave it to the guys in HR to hate the Enzo.
Habibus 3:16PM (10/23/2007)
Too bad it's not a "Production" car so it doesn't count for the lap times. There are lots of kit cars out there faster than a Enzo or something similar.
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Dave 4:38PM (10/23/2007)
"...the test that we have for the powerboard, cuz only road cars can go on this, is whether they can go over a speed bump, whether you could use them, and this can..." - Jeremy Clarkson on the Ariel Atom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VfJJ9Sn4DQ
Keith 6:01PM (10/23/2007)
Seems pretty low-slung. Can it make it over a speed bump? Even my e36 M3 has trouble on some of the larger ones.
Philometalist 6:20PM (10/23/2007)
I'm not sure what point is trying to be made about the Atom because it IS a street legal road car. It's not just a track day car. It can be driven on public roads in both Europe and the USA, although both have they're own respective versions of the car. Which by the way, is now manufactured in the US and powered by an American engine, no longer one from a Honda Civic Type-R as it was before. Which by the way, Jeremy as well as the rest of the TG team can't get enough of.
Truth is, TG is run by ratings, people watch it to be enthused, shocked and amazed... TG fans don't want to see a purpose built clean-cut racer dominate the track with comedic ease. They want to see a Koenigsegg or a Lambo blazing around each corner wrestling it's way out of control while Jeremy shouts in the background, period. THAT is why this car still hasn't made it on the show and it probably never will.
Heck, recently we kicked the Veyron german pride of Europe's ass with a quarter of the weight, half the cylinders, and even more horsepower via the Ultimate Aero TT and it only got a 5 second photo-op on the show along with a few defaming comments.... Bottom line if the fans want it (which excludes us as new shows no longer air in the USA) and they can put a nice spin on it, it makes it. If not, it stays at the bottom of the barrel, no matter how good it is.
Dave 11:50PM (10/23/2007)
The fact that this car has an American engine in it has nothing to do with it.
Noble is one of Top Gear's favorites and they use Taurus engines.
Ultimas are registered and driven on public roads in Europe and the USA. It is as much a road car as the Atom and it should be on the board.
Evotec 3:17PM (10/23/2007)
ultimate ownage.
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Garp 3:26PM (10/23/2007)
The 747 is not flyable. The engines were mocked up for use as a prop in a Bond film.
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nissanfreak87 3:58PM (10/23/2007)
That's what I was thinking, I'm guessing it was the "skyfleet" plane from Casino Royale
I agree with most of the people posting now that I think about it, the lines of race car that's street legal and a street car need to be defined more clearly.
Lee Gibson 8:39PM (10/28/2007)
Call me crazy, but isn't "street legal" a pretty clear line? Defined by, you know, laws?
tritonofg 3:28PM (10/23/2007)
TG also tests non-production cars... That's what an Ariel Atom is. The Jezza simply does not want a car powered by the same motor found in the Z06 to take the top time. (I know the AA's time was not posted due to it not being a production car)
Jezza needs to realize that there are good AMERICAN motor and vehicle designs.
(All this from a guy who drives a rice burning STI! :D)
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graviton 3:38PM (10/23/2007)
I think there should be some level of refinement for the vehicle to be considered street legal AND used on the Top gear test track. Not to mention a certain number sold to customers (50-100) anybody can take a souped up go cart and strap a fiberglass enclosure over it and beat an Enzo.
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