Posted on: Jun 16, 2012 | 17,992 reads

Unique of the Week: 2001 Ultima GTR

Considering its price and performance potential, the Ultima GTR is an incredible bargain.

For those who have the means to buy whatever car they'd like, there's more than a good chance they've already bought that car(s). When you're financially fortunate enough to simply buy the car of your dreams, it seems almost likely that you'd soon be willing to shell out even more dough to have an even larger car collection. Let's say you do this and a few years go by and suddenly your garage is full of just about every car you could have ever wanted.

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You've got the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and perhaps even a Bugatti Veyron. Add to this some uber premium sedans and you're almost set. Almost. Now you think it's time to own something that's not only rare, but unique in its own right. Of course, it must have stellar performance, good build quality, and the appearance of something special. The Ultima GTR may be the answer. Built by Ultima Sports Ltd that's based out of England, its builders call it a supercar even though it's available in both kit and turnkey form. The GTR is a mid-engined two-door coupe with rear-wheel-drive, a tubular space frame chassis, and a fiberglass body.

Although some will opt to build the car themselves in kit form, the company highly recommends for a Chevrolet small-block V8 mated to either a Porsche or Getrag transaxle as the ideal engine-transmission combination. Turnkey versions are also sold with this combo. But for those who want something even more insane, the company began to offer more powerful versions just a few years ago. The GTR640 is powered by an American Speed engine and produces a solid 640hp. If that's not good enough, then buyers can go with the GTR720 with - you guessed it - 720hp.

With this latter setup, the car can supposedly go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds and can do the quarter mile in 9.9 seconds at 143 mph. All told, it weighs just 2,183 lbs., thereby giving it a better power-to-weight ratio than some of the world's finest hypercars, including the Bugatti Veyron, Enzo Ferrari, and the Koenigsegg CCGT. And if 720hp doesn't suit you enough, the Ultima's chassis has been engineered to handle up to 1,000hp. 'Top Gear' fans will also remember the Ultima GTR720 lapping the show's test track in just 1 minute, 12.8 seconds.

The car returned to the show and its track in 2009 and set a new record time of 1 minute 9.9 seconds, although that particular car was not street legal. Even though the Ultima GTR is kind of rare, we managed to find one up for sale on eBay Motors. This 2001 model is the so-called factory standard version, powered by a LS6 5.7-liter V8 and mated to a Porsche five-speed transaxle. Other features include Alcantara seats, six-point seat belt harnesses, and 18-inch racing wheels. This particular car was assembled in the factory but was sent to the U.S. as a rolling chassis.

It was displayed from 2001 until 2005 when it was prepped (meaning given the GM crate V8) for the 2006 One Lap of America. It currently has 9,275 miles on the odometer and has a 'Buy it Now' price of $80,000. Considering this car's performance potential (even with its current engine), it's quite a bargain for any supercar collector. It could even potentially show that Veyron a thing or two. Photos courtesy of nelsontc25z5.

by Jay Traugott
Unique of the Week: 2001 Ultima GTR

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Unique of the Week: 2001 Ultima GTR

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