LED rear lights introduced.Ģ008: Quieter exhaust system offered as an option to comply with track noise limit regulations.Ģ010: Major changes to running gear carried out including adapting components to fit uprated clutch, dampers and Porsche 996/997 sourced transaxle. Ultima Can-Am introduced as open top version of GTR.Ģ005: Ultima GTR 640 introduced – world record holder for numerous acceleration categories.Ģ006: Ultima GTR720 launched – new world records set.Ģ007: Chevrolet LS7 Ultima engine package offered with power outputs from 345bhp to 800bhp. With 1000bhp options available by the end of production. Ultima GTR model historyġ999: Ultima GTR introduced, available with a range of Chevrolet sourced V8 power units ranging initially from 330bhp to 600bhp. Electronics: check that all the electrics, buttons and switches are working correctly.Buying one second hand means that someone else has gone through the process, but there will always be room for tweaking, and improvements on any purchase. Kit cars: building your own GTR may seem intimidating, with teething issues par for the course.Highly recommended for that additional piece of mind. Factory assessed purchase: for the sum of £490, the factory will assess your potential purchase from top to bottom, and provide you with a report of their findings.Corrosion: rust can affect the chassis so check for any signs of corrosion.It can fade after prolonged exposure to the sun. Body: the GRP body has a gel coat finish which is easily maintained and stands up well to abuse.Post 2010 models have the newer 996/997 model transaxles fitted. Transaxle: as the transaxle is sourced from the Porsche 911, it’s robust and copes well in this application.When it comes to choosing one, the mega-horsepower versions do offer hypercar beating performance, but even the lower powered models offer sensational speed, and are perhaps the most sensible choice for a casual enthusiast. All niceties that make the GTR that much more usable when it is not being used to set lap times. Some owners have even fitted a radio to their car. Standard equipment includes air-conditioning, leather and Alcantara trim as well as headlights. Intended for track use, the suspension is modifiable to suit each owner's requirements. This may be a kit car, but the comprehensive factory support and decades of development behind it make it so much more. The Can-Am versions introduced soon after the GTR were open-topped, featuring identical running gear. The transaxle was usually sourced from Porsche, and the majority of cars came with either a five or six-speed Porsche or Getrag gearbox. These could be specified from Ultima’s recommended US based Chevrolet engine supplier, although some owners have used their own custom engine and gearbox setups. Engine outputs ranged from 350bhp right up to 800bhp and beyond. For a premium, customers could buy ready built cars. The Ultima GTR could either be bought in kit form, with the factory providing everything except the Chevrolet sourced engine. Refinement and long distance comfort may not be quite up to Mercedes S-Class, or even Caterham standards, but shorter trips and drives to and from circuits are well within the car’s capabilities.

Which Ultima GTR to buy?ĭespite its ‘ready for the track’ looks, the Ultima GTR is actually a fully legal road car. Owning such a niche machine can be daunting, but knowledge is power, and power is good. The best of which can still embarrass most modern hypercars around a track. It combined decades of Ultima’s racing and sports car building experience, and could be ordered in kit form or fully built up.Ĭustomers could choose from a variety of V8 powertrains, from the merely rapid to the spine compressing variety. Ultima’s approach to sports car building has been a little different to most other manufacturers the wild road-legal GTR introduced in 1999 was a mixture of top-spec outsourced mechanical components and an in-house chassis. During this time the small company has amassed a number of production car speed records with their in-house designed road cars. Ultima Sports Cars Ltd may not be immediately recognisable to casual motoring enthusiast, but they happen to be one of the most successful independent sports car manufacturers around – and have been in business since 1983.

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