Ultima GTR Is a 560 HP/Ton Deathwish on Wheels You'd Gladly Give a Go

The Ultima GTR technically falls into the kit car category, but you'd have to be insane to even go near it with the intention of building it yourself unless you had previously taken out and put back together at least one Formula One car, if not several.

What makes it so special is a combination of power, lightness, and absolutely no crash protection. "If you crash, you're dead," admits Shaun, the owner. Since your feet are literally inches away from the front axle and there's no crumple zone to absorb the impact, YOU become the crumple zone. Realizing that makes watching the rest of the clip quite an anxious affair, but since the video is up on YouTube, it means everything went smoothly until the end.

Shaun looks just like you would expect to for the owner of such a car: like a complete madman. Obviously, he's quite nice and affable, which is where his traits start to diverge from those of his vehicle. The Ultima GTR's looks match its nature perfectly. This car is as raw and visceral as its low-slung silhouette and straight-forward approach would suggest.

The chassis is designed by Lee Noble, the man who then went on to establish Noble Automotive, the company behind several other somewhat similar cars. The GTR used to have a 350 Chevy V8, but the previous owner found it to be too "agricultural", so he had it swapped for a German 4.2-liter V8 taken from an Audi RS6. In this configuration, the Ultima develops 550 hp, all sent to the fat rear wheels through a Porsche transaxle.

The specs might not sound awfully impressive, but they get a whole new dimension when you hear what this thing weighs. Thanks to its compact dimensions and fiberglass body, the Ultima GTR only tilts the scales as far as 2,100 lbs (950 kg) for a power-to-weight ratio of 560 hp/ton. That's definitely supercar territory, even if the cabin amenities point more toward a golf cart.

Luxury and comfort are two words that were nowhere to be found on Ultima GTR's brief, though. Uncompromised driving experience, on the other hand, was probably the title, and the end product definitely delivered. Watch Shaun, the owner, and Jamie, the channel host, giggle like two schoolboys at the experience. And anyone who's ever been in one of these flawed but so full of character British sports cars (or even supercars, in this case) will understand.