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The Ultimate RS Has 1,200BHP, A Manual Gearbox, And No Driver Aids

It all started with the Audi R8. The German supercar had the performance and looks to compete with any other supercar on the market, but it had something extra that no other supercars of the era had. It had reliability. It was a car that you could drive to the shops and back again without worrying whether it was going to need a service half way there or not. It was also comfortable, and easy to drive, and this made it one of the best cars of its time.

These days, everyone else has learnt from the Audi icon and you’ll be pressed to find a supercar that’s difficult to drive. So, in answer to this longing for something more brutal than a modern-era supercar, Ultima has given us the Ultima RS.

It’s got 1,200bhp, a manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, and yes, no driver aids whatsoever. This is truly a car that’s able to separate the weak from the strong in terms of how good a driver you are, and the size of your meatballs.

While we haven’t got any precise performance figures to give you, we can estimate these by looking at the 1,020bhp Ultima Evolution – the car that sits below it in the Ultima family. Those stats are as follows: 60mph in 2.3secs, 100mph in 4.8secs and it’ll get touching distance away from 250mph. Add an extra 200 horses and we’ll be looking at one hell of a performance car. And all that with a clutch pedal and no traction control. I think I’m in love.

Traction control comes in the form of some aero advancements such as that gopping roof-scoop and massive wing. There’s also plenty of cooling for the Chevrolet V8 heart behind the seats, and… what…? A rear view camera? That’s far too luxurious for such a raw, untamed animal such as this. You also get a suspension lift system, but other than that, the car is quite scarce of any amenities.

And as this car is so basic, we doubt the price tag will be quite so eye-watering as cars with a similar performance. Again, we look at the Evolution which has a price tag of £95,000, which, if you’re looking at cars made outside of Leicester, is a sweet bargain. The RS may just be the bang-for-buck king of the performance car market, but this car certainly isn’t for everyone.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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