BRISTOL LAUNCHES NEW $320,000 BULLET SPORTS CAR

When luxury, low-volume automaker Bristol Cars fell into dire financial straights in 2011, the future of the British firm looked bleak. Now however, the company has been saved and it’s back to doing what it does best… making sports cars. 

The latest in its long line of sports cars is this, the new 2017 Bristol Bullet, the company’s first all-new product in over a decade. If it looks like an old car, well… it should. According to Top Gear, the Bullet was modeled after a Bristol prototype that the firm’s new owners found beneath a tarp in the company’s factory. That’s not to say it’s an antiquated car from the get-go, though.

That body? It’s said to be hewn from lightweight carbon fiber, and underneath it lies a powerful BMW engine. There’s only one problem; if you want one, you’ll have to act fast and dig deep into your pockets.

Only 70 Bristol Bullets will be built, of which a number have already been sold, and each will retail for just under £250,000 (about $329,000).

So what do you get for your wheelbarrow full of cash? Well, quite a bit of performance. Given its diminutive proportions and carbon fiber construction, the Bristol Bullet doesn’t weigh much at all. Just 2,425 pounds. This allows the luxury sports car to accelerate with quite some get-up-and-go. According to Bristol, the Bullet dashes to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and if fully unleashed, it’ll crack the 155 mph barrier.

Thrust comes from a naturally aspirated 4.8-liter BMW V8, which gives an even 370 horsepower and 370 lb.-ft. of torque. Buyers can choose between either an automatic or manual gearbox. Inside, the interior looks supremely well laid out too, featuring swathes of leather, carbon fiber, and wood. A Bluetooth and wi-fi equipped touchscreen also finds a home.

Production of the V8 model is said to begin in early 2017, followed later by hybrid and electric-only variants.