2005 Ultima GTR sets 0-100mph-0 world record

The Ultima GTR has set a new world record by achieving 0-100mph-0 in a mere 9.9 seconds, a time it claims is the first ever sub 10-second run. The vehicle also reached 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and 100 in 3.9. A 377ci Chevy V8 producing 685 horsepower motivates the car, which weighs just less than 2,200 lbs.

While the Ultima is perhaps the fastest car on pavement right now, we find it difficult to get excited about a company that claims its crown as King of the Streets despite not having to engineer its car to the same safety and emissions standards as its competitors. For instance, the Ultima, like the very capable Noble M12 GTO, is produced in very low numbers in Europe and imported partly unassembled into North America in order to gain Kit Car classification and avoid NHTSA and EPA certification. Is it really fair to compare the unfettered Ultima to an Enzo, McLaren or Murcielago, each of which has been designed and engineered to meet the strict safety and emissions standards that the Ultima has dodged?