Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ultima GTR720 at the Nurburgring

There is no shortage of automakers out there claiming to make the ultimate "race car for the road", but few of them can touch the Ultima GTR. While others try to make their road cars as close to racing cars as possible, the British sportscar-maker set about making their Noble-based racing car as close to a road car as possible. The result is blistering performance, with the latest GTR720 setting several Guinness-verified world records, including a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds, a quarter mile below ten seconds and a 0-100-0 time in 9.4. With those numbers in the books, Sport Auto Magazine set its sights on setting a new Nurburgring road car lap record.

Unfortunately, after booking two, half-hour sessions at the 'Ring, the heavens opened up and soaked the track, so the attempt was aborted. The current record, held by the Pagani Zonda F Clubsport, stands at 7:27, but Ultima ambitiously projects that its car could undercut that with what would be a staggeringly fast lap time under 6 minutes, 55 seconds. Sounds impossible? Consider the performance stats quoted above, and that the lightweight track demon has hit a top speed of 231 mph. That was with the previous gearing setup, but with a taller fifth gear ratio, Ultima thinks it can reach even higher speeds. After the disappointment of a failed attempt due to the bad weather, the company's founder Ted Marlow turned around and headed back to England, claiming to have hit 220mph on a derestricted Autobahn along the way. We'll just have to wait until a more successful attempt to see if the record is shattered, but in the meantime we can enjoy the images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Ultima GTR720 Nurburgring record attempt

[Source: Ultima]

Continue reading Rain dampens Ultima GTR 'Ring record attempt

Rain dampens Ultima GTR 'Ring record attempt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]

Go your Own Way: Ultima GTR beats Top Gear lap record by 4½ seconds originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ultima Sports has created an 800 HP engine for its GTR and Can-Am rides that is emissions-friendly around the world. It will even pass the rather stringent Euro IV standards that have put paid to many a supercar's attempts to cross the pond.

Ultima's efforts start with Chevy's LS7 lump from the Z06, which rocks 505 HP standard. Ultima then adds their own exhaust, for a boost up to 565 HP. The camshafts are swapped out, raising the horse count to 650. Finally, a supercharger provides the 150 HP coup de grace, for a finally tally of 800. The entire package meets global emissions standards, as does every step in between.

Prices will be announced this weekend. If you'll remember, last year the Ultima GTR officially became the fastest supercar in the world, and that was with a 720 hp engine. Now you can go faster, and be cleaner about it. That sounds ultima indeed.

Thanks for the tip, Derek!

[Source: PistonHeads]

Ultima intros Euro emissions compliant 800-hp package originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2007 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ultima GTR goes for quarter-mile record and gets it originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading British Ultima sets new 0-100mph-0 world record

British Ultima sets new 0-100mph-0 world record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.