ALTAMA GTR EVOLUTION RACE CAR FULL

Our Ultima GTR weighed just 2314 pounds, so the Vette engine practically lifts the front wheels off the ground at full throttle. Pumping out 345 hp, the aluminum V-8 is a proven, trouble-free, instantly responding gem. The LS1 engine in the car we tested felt perfect.

The beauty of its installation is that the stock engine-control system, the catalysts, and the OBD II diagnostics remain unchanged. If, however, you live in a state with strict emissions laws and annual smog tests - California, for one - you need the LS1 V-8.

The small-block engine and the 911 transaxle cost $38,000 the LS1 engine with transaxle costs $42,000. Both engines use a late-model Porsche 911 transmission and differential.

ALTAMA GTR EVOLUTION RACE CAR INSTALL

Once in the States, Mullin will install whatever engine you wish to pay for, but currently, he has two options - an aftermarket small-block Chevy V-8 or a current-production LS1 V-8 from a C5 Corvette. And this year, in faraway California, a retired marketing executive named Mike Mullin has begun selling Ultima GTRs from his Costa Mesa shop.Īs an engineless kit car, the Ultima bypasses federal regulations. Since 1995, Marlow's small factory in Hinckley, England, has turned out about 200 Ultimas. The brakes, for example, were designed by the well-known firm AP Racing. He farmed out some bits and pieces but did most of the work himself. Marlow replaced the Renault parts with Ultima-specific units. His goal was to turn the Ultima into a civilized street car yet retain its prowess on the track. In 1992, after four years of modifying and perfecting his car, Marlow, then 44, purchased Noble's enterprise. He swapped the V-6 for a 440-hp Chevy small-block V-8. One of the 13 new models was purchased for about $25,000 by a civil engineer named Ted Marlow.Ī weekend racer, Marlow did what most race-car owners do - he customized the Ultima to his liking. It was a success at the track, so Noble went on to sell 40 race cars before 1988, when he updated it. It used many Renault parts, including a 270-horsepower V-6 engine mounted amidships.

Lee Noble, a freelance car designer, designed and built the first Ultima in 1983 for a British kit-car racing series. The car, called the Ultima GTR, hails from the fertile race-car turf of Britain, the land where McLaren, Reynard, Williams, and Van Diemen build race cars that win with remarkable regularity. To be fair, unlike the other cars, which are real cars, this British import is more a race car tuned for the streets since there are no airbags and there's minuscule luggage space and it's tricky to get into. After you've invested, oh, another $40,000 or so for an engine and transmission, you're going to own a car that is quicker than the latest Porsche Turbo, any showroom Ferrari, even the fearsome Dodge Viper. Wait, don't throw the magazine across the room - you're not going to believe this. That's worse than those $75,000 Mustangs.' Have we got a deal for you: Write out a nice check for $100,300 and send it to the British manufacturer of this beauty, and he'll send you the car all wrapped in a big shipping box - only there's no engine.

Altama gtr evolution race car