Bristol Bullet revealed! [w/Video] - AllCarIndex
Bristol Cars has issued the following press release:
Bristol Cars unveils 70th anniversary Bullet speedster
Bristol Cars Limited, the iconic British car marque, has unveiled its first car since the company was rescued from insolvency by new owners five years ago.
The Bristol Bullet is being launched on the anniversary of the founding of Bristol Cars Limited and celebrates 70 years of sophisticated luxury motoring.
This journey started when the new owners discovered a speedster, neglected and ignored under a dusty tarpaulin in its old factory.
The revealed form compelled the new owners to re-capture and celebrate everything that made Bristol special.
Hand made in Chichester, the new Bullet draws it’s bold and confident design from decades of Bristol engineering innovation and heritage, with the wings, front grill and bonnet all visual clues to the company’s roots as an aeroplane manufacturer.
As you would expect from Bristol there are hidden surprises too.
Much like the newest aircraft, the body of the Bullet is manufactured from bespoke carbon fibre composites to achieve high strength, rigidity and a low weight.
The interior of the Bullet is perfectly suited to the modern age – with a multi-touch screen embedded into the dashboard providing digital radio, smartphone connectivity and both Bluetooth and WiFi connections.
In addition, audio playback over WiFi permits a supremely high quality audio experience. Screen-mirroring from supported smartphone devices allows the use of preferred navigation applications and playback of streaming audio.
It even has a button providing direct access to the Bristol showroom in Kensington, London.
The dashboard panelling is offered in a classic wood; a modern herringbone carbon-fibre weave; or for ultimate refinement, a unique hand-laid unidirectional carbon-fibre weave.
The sports seating is contoured for support and comfort over long distances, and hand trimmed in the finest British hides.
The Bullet has a powerful V8 Hercules’ engine which can go from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph. The 4.8 litre power plant, named after the legendary Bristol Hercules 14-cylinder, 1300hp radial engine, has been manufactured by BMW and finished by Bristol.
Julian Ramshaw, General Manager of Bristol Cars, said: “The Bullet celebrates 70 years of design and innovation at Bristol Cars. This unique speedster sets the tone for the future of Bristol Cars – with a focus on luxury, performance and elegance.
"The discovery of the prototype at the factory provided us with the perfect way to celebrate this incredible marque’s 70th anniversary. Open top, highly luxurious , lightweight and full of torque, it really is the ultimate driver’s car.”
Bristol’s first car, the 400, was built by the Car Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1945 in collaboration with Frazer-Nash and BMW. Bristol Cars Limited was founded later in 1947.
Frazer-Nash Research and Bristol Cars were reunited in 2011, when new owners rescued the auto-maker from administration and brought the two together in the same group of companies.
Bristol Bullet Specifications
Dimensions
Overall Length: 4200 mm
Overall Width: 1860 mm
Overall Height: 1200 mm
Wheel Base: 2553 mm
Weight
Kerb Weight: 1,100 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight: 1,250 kg
Engine
Configuration: V8
Peak Power: 275 kW / 370 bhp
Maximum Torque: 490 Nm / 370 lb-ft
Gearbox: Automatic or Manual
Performance
Top Speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph
0-62 mph: 3.8 Sec
Subject to Change, E&OE
