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Ultima Can-Am

Porche, Ferrari, Lamborghini - these days ultra-high performance almost always has a price tag to match. But with its latest model, the Can-Am, Leicester-based Ultima is out to prove that supercars don't have to cost the earth.

March 2002

Porche, Ferrari, Lamborghini - these days ultra-high performance almost always has a price tag to match. But with its latest model, the Can-Am, Leicester-based Ultima is out to prove that supercars don't have to cost the earth.

Even at a standstill this race-bred roadster looks staggeringly fast, as though it has fallen off the race track and landed on the road. The aggressive stance plus wind tunnel-tuned body shape are both magnetic and intimidating. The cockpit, meanwhile, is a masterclass in solid simplicity. A minimum of gauges and switches in an alcantara-trimmed dash give an overwhelming sense of sporting purpose.

Turn the key, punch the starter button and the world seems to explode behind you. A 6.3-litre Chevrolet V8 bursts into life, and the exhaust bark is almost as impressive as its output figures of 539bhp and 720Nm of torque.

That's more than twice the pulling power of a Porsche 911 in a car that weighs 925kg. This leads to some startling performance figures, including a 0-60mph dash of 3.3 seconds - faster than a McLaren F1 - and a top speed of around 180mph. Controlling power from the mid-mounted engine becomes an art form around town. Slipping the heavy clutch is a must in the first three gears of the Porsche-sourced six-speed box. But out in the open the Can-Am is in its element.

In bends it demonstrates lots of grip, and the handling is delicate and responsive. The chassis copes effortlessly with anything roads can throw at it, and although street-legal, Ultima's latest creation seems made for track days. Thankfully its vast 13-inch ventilated brake discs shave off speed as quickly as it builds. Our test model was factory-prepared and would retail at around

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