GT40's vs Ultima

But you cant do this to a GT40........


Below pinched from another forum

Ultima fitted with a Maserati 4.2v8 from a GranSport mated to a ferrari 360 6spd manual box. On BMW M3 50mm TB's, Emerald management, Jp exhausts


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There is really no reason you couldn't put a twin turbo rdi/fontana/dart/world based windsor with the same ricardo's transaxle behind it and do the same thing in a replica, obviously there just isn't a group of people interested in this idea and maybe never will because people buy these cars for the nastalgia. No reason to really compare the cars, people buy them for completely different reasons, they do different things better and fill different needs in the market.
 
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But you cant do this to a GT40........


Below pinched from another forum

Ultima fitted with a Maserati 4.2v8 from a GranSport mated to a ferrari 360 6spd manual box. On BMW M3 50mm TB's, Emerald management, Jp exhausts

Exactly, who would want to, that would be like defiling the essence of the 40. I won't disagree, I think if you just want to put random motor combinations in a racing platform the Ultima is a better candidate. No argument there.
 
Hi everybody! I'm somewhat of a Newbie to the site. My name is Mike and I own and race a SPF GT40R. I've been racing various cars since 1971. Since every man is entitled to an opinion, this is mine. We are comparing apples and oranges. The Ultima is just that...the MODERN Ultimate street car. A GT40 was designed as a race car 45+ years ago if you consider they were using an Eric Broadley Lola chassis design. Like me the GT40 is old by design. An absolute lovely car to drive or race but we are talking vintage. My car has no creature comforts, let alone you must wear a cool suit inorder to maintain brain boil! I would rather race and or drive a GT40 because that's my choice due to era, history, classic design and bragging rights about the number of times it won LeMan. Maybe if Ultima was an entrant in LeMan, won it several times and we fast forwrded 45 years from now I might change my mind. The GT40 is recognizable worldwide and originals are in the mega millions. I think we are in a different realm when we speak of the GT40. Maybe a better comparison might be an Ultima and a modern designed kit. Mike
 

Doug S.

The protoplasm may be 72, but the spirit is 32!
Lifetime Supporter
Perhaps a better comparison?

Maybe a better comparison might be an Ultima and a modern designed kit. Mike

I agree...IMHO the correct comparison would be the Ultima vs an RCR-SLC.

Cheers from Doug!!
 
Am I the only person here who thinks that it certainly could be possible to build up a GT40 replica to be pretty competitive when compared to an Ultima?

Naturally aspirated NASCAR motors can crank out 700 HP+. I see no reason why someone cannot figure out how to fit a turbo, twin turbo, or even a supercharger. A GT40 replica can be fitted with the same transaxle options as an Ultima. Sure, there needs to be some creative aero thinking, but Iain Pretty has some interesting mods to his Roaring Forties, and the late Mark LaVea was also developing splitters and such with his ERA. There can also be some decent gains to be had with some reworked ducting and sealing of the Mk IB nostril so that all of the air entering the grill is forced out the huge central nostril and directed right over the roof to add some down force.

All it takes is drive, purpose, and money ... just like the some of the Ultima guys have done.

Ian
 
Am I the only person here who thinks that it certainly could be possible to build up a GT40 replica to be pretty competitive when compared to an Ultima?

Naturally aspirated NASCAR motors can crank out 700 HP+. I see no reason why someone cannot figure out how to fit a turbo, twin turbo, or even a supercharger. A GT40 replica can be fitted with the same transaxle options as an Ultima. Sure, there needs to be some creative aero thinking, but Iain Pretty has some interesting mods to his Roaring Forties, and the late Mark LaVea was also developing splitters and such with his ERA. There can also be some decent gains to be had with some reworked ducting and sealing of the Mk IB nostril so that all of the air entering the grill is forced out the huge central nostril and directed right over the roof to add some down force.

All it takes is drive, purpose, and money ... just like the some of the Ultima guys have done.

Ian

I agree Ian, in that the two (kits) could easily be made to perform very similarly, based soley on the budget available. As kits, they really aren't very dissimilar.

I also agree with others here though, that the typical 40 buyer/builder is hooked on the historic/nostalgic values of the 40 and therefore most seem not to have overly developed their cars for ultimate speed.
 
Hi all, not posted for a while,
Interesting comments Ultima vs GT40.
Well my brief answer would be that the Ultima has a more up to date chassis and with the possibility of fitting monster H.P engines, the end result will be good.
Ultima has and does make a really good product its well engineered and well thought out.
Its made to be assembled by people with a reasonable engineering knowledge. It can be driven to the local supermarket or thrashed on the circuit. The GT40, well the GTD40 is of older design, good in its infant days and developed today to perform well.
In my opinion for performance the Ultima wins hands down.
For looks its got to be the GT40.
Parts availability and backup , today it's Ultima
The cost... Well the Ultima in mild form would probably be cheaper.
This is only my opinion.
Regards Keith

Current cars
Ultima GTR 580 h.p.
Ultima Can Am 640 H.P.
Previuosly owned GTD40
Current build Southern GT40
Every day Donkey BMW M5
 
How much different is the Ultima from when Noble built the car? Isn't it just an alu covered space frame or have its new owners developed the frame, and the suspension points?
 
I think the ultima seems to be the better overall performer.It,s significantly lighter than gt40 replicas or the new gt.It houses enormous tyres for its weight which gives great traction.It is extremely rare that any two wheel drive vehicle can produce acceleration like the ultima.Even cars with higher ptw ratios are usually much slower to reach 60mph.For example,a 1000+hp koennigsegg is still half a second slower to 60mph than an ultima gtr packing 720hp.even the pagani zonda r(for race) is not as quick to 60mph as the ultima,and thats considering it is a multi million dollar pupose built track racer.The ultima can run similar lap times to the zonda r,even in street trim(bar the fitment of slicks).It seems hard to imagine any vehicle ever built can offer such amazing performance on such a constrained budget.Even the 500hp ariel atom was not able to match the lap time ultima claim for the gtr,and that is basically a carbon fibre cigar tube with wheels and an $80000 driveline installed.I will admit that top gear lap times are not the be all and end all,but they are impressive none the less.
I do think the gt40 is a better looking car,and an all time classic.Even as a GM fan I always had much respect for the gt40.Where I live it is hard to compl;y an ultima for road use.There is a company here called roaring 40's which make a good quality gt40 replica in kit form.they make compliance/registration straight forward as they have done alll the ground work for you.For this reason,if I were to build a kit car in Australia,it would probably be a gt40 replica.Roaring 40's have done a fair bit of motorsport with one of their own replicas,and it is very quick.The cars are designed to be equally at home on the road.
 
The bottom line is that a GT40 is a replica and the Ultima is not.

A replicas main selling attraction is that ..........well its a replica.

A non replica car such as the ultima must be sold on its performance and thats exactly what they have done.

If a GT40 replica manufacturer were to fit a 720 BHP engine etc I am sure the performance would be exactly the same.

Andy




Hi Andy,

An original car like the Ultima sells on its merit alone and is not forced to rely on looking like an old classic car designed by someone else. We are very proud of the Group C Le Mans inspired styling of the Ultima and our thousands of worldwide customers and fans love the shape as well.
It is easy to sit down and claim on the keyboard that a car could be as quick as an Ultima but quite a different thing actually achieving it. You should give it a go! It is after all very nice of you to hand all these sales to us on a plate when you could, according to your comments, match our performance achievements.
Our view is that it simply isn’t possible for a GT40 replica to match our world record figures including top gear lap times, regardless of power levels. In fact, we don’t feel it could even get close!
All said in good nature and spirit! We do admire and respect all kit car manufacturers hugely and especially appreciate all V8 powered mid-engined cars here at Ultima.

Best Regards to all GT40 replica owners.

Ted and Richard Marlow
Ultima GTR - Street legal racecars from Ultima Sports Cars.
 
I remember back in what must have been the early 90s we had a stand at the Sandown Park kit Car show in London next to Ultima.

Ted marlow asked me why our stand was always packed with people but his was not.

I replied ' Well its a GT40'

I still see Ted at the Stoneleigh show every year and always make a point of stopping for a quick chat.

Hi Andy,

How times have changed.
We now are practically mobbed whenever the Ultima is shown.

Best Regards

Ted and Richard Marlow
www.ultimasports.co.uk
 
I think the rule is that the car has to be fully road legal.

There was a car featured on Fifth Gear that was based on an Audi that was fully street legal but more of a Dragster.

The time was for the 1/4 mile but I would imagine it would be much quicker 0-100-0 especially with a parachute for extra stopping power.

Hi Andy,


It is highly unlikely that the car you mention can beat our standard Ultima GTR720 0-100mph-0 world record as it will fail hugely on the braking even with a parachute. The Ultima GTR is proven to be the quickest decelerating road going supercar in the world.
Regardless of this the Ultima has far more attributes than that of a drag car and unlike the drag car you mention is in production.
Interestingly the owner of the Audi drag car you mention that was featured on Fifth Gear has actually purchased an Ultima GTR for his own personal use!


Best Regards

Ted and Richard Marlow
www.ultimasports.co.uk
 
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Hi Andy,

How times have changed.
We now are practically mobbed whenever the Ultima is shown.

Best Regards

Ted and Richard Marlow
www.ultimasports.co.uk

Over the years i have seen dozens of Ultimas on the street, at shows and races, even on ferries and at LeMans and Spa meetings. Never seen them being mobbed. GT40s though, i have seen being "invaded" more times than i can remember.

The Ultima is an AMAZING car, always will be. Modern technology and aerodynamics, etc, etc, etc.

As far as style, presence and beautifull brutality is concerned...it can never come close to the GT40, original or replica.
 
Over the years i have seen dozens of Ultimas on the street, at shows and races, even on ferries and at LeMans and Spa meetings. Never seen them being mobbed. GT40s though, i have seen being "invaded" more times than i can remember.

The Ultima is an AMAZING car, always will be. Modern technology and aerodynamics, etc, etc, etc.

As far as style, presence and beautifull brutality is concerned...it can never come close to the GT40, original or replica.

Every Ultima owner will disagree strongly with that, but then again we are on a GT40 replica forum so we don't expect universal agreement!
 

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