New 400km/h road-legal Ultima RS makes debut

Ultima has shocked performance car fans by launching the new Ultima RS – a road-legal supercar that generates more than 890kW and can top 400km/h.

Based on the British supercar-maker's limited-run Evolution, the latest Ultima RS is said to feature a heavily updated chassis and tweaked aero to maximise performance on both road and track.

Dominating the RS design, is its huge 1780mm adjustable rear wing, optional rear diffuser and carbon-fibre front splitter and winglets.

At the rear of the car the rear boot lid and clamshell have also been tweaked to bring extra cooling, while subtle reprofiled front styling has reduced the frontal area.

A set of new LED headlamps complete the changes.

Three engines will be offered with the RS coupe, a GM-sourced 6.2-litre V8 'LT1' that produces a modest (relatively speaking) 358kW.

The entry-level model is claimed to hit 60mph (97km/h) in around 3.3 seconds and top out at almost 300km/h.

A mightier LT4-powered RS ups power to around 485kW which raises the RS' top speed to around 338km/h, but if you prefer to indulge in some Bugatti Chiron-hunting you'll need the supercharged LT5 V8 that in standard mode churns out 597kW but can be dialled up to an astonishing 894kW.

It's then the Leicester-based outfit says you can experience hypercar-levels of performance, with the RS capable of hitting 97km/h in just 2.3 seconds before topping out at 402km/h.

Sending all its might to just the rear wheels, the most powerful version of the RS should prove a borderline psychotic experience especially since all its might must be man-handled via a manual six-speed gearbox sourced from Porsche.

Reigning in all its might is a set of brakes sourced from AP. The standard rotors measure in at 322mm – but those ordering the most powerful RS would be wise to foot the extra bill for the enormous 362mm grooved discs that are clamped down on by six-piston calipers.

Featuring fully adjustable suspension with nine different options for track use, Ultima has also developed a new front-end hydraulic lift mechanism.

Inside, all models come with a full roll-cage, half leather sport seats and an Alpine-sourced infotainment system.

Matching its more exotic rivals, Ultima says it offers a bespoke luggage set for the RS that comes complete with RS branding.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed for the Ultima RS but is said by the car maker to cost the same price as a "mundane new BMW M3" in the UK, suggesting it will be priced from just $110,000.

Sadly, if you're interested in purchasing an Ultima RS the British supercar-maker says you'll be in for a long wait. Currently there's a two-year waiting list for factory-built cars, although if you fancy assembling an RS yourself the delivery time falls to just 22 weeks.

The Ultima RS will be launched at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 4-7where it's expected to tackle the famous hill climb.