Bristol is Back with the Burly Bullet [w/ Video]
Sadly, it doesn’t take very long to name all the British car manufacturers that are still British-owned. Bristol Cars is a member of this exclusive group, though the company hasn’t actually built a car since 2011. Well, the hiatus ends this year – the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the first Bristol car, the Type 400 – with the introduction of the ravishing retro roadster you see here, the Bristol Bullet.
Were it not for items like the modern alloy wheels and big side mirrors, the Bullet would look like a roadster built in the 1950s. The interior also has a strong retro feel, though the big in-dash touchscreen certainly interrupts the nostalgia show, while the powertrain – a naturally-aspirated 4.8L BMW V8 producing about 400 horsepower – provides 21st century levels of oomph (The selection of BMW as engine supplier is rather fitting, considering early Bristols used tweaked BMW engine and chassis designs that were purchased from the war-ravaged and cash-strapped German outfit.). How much oomph? Bristol says the Bullet will shimmy to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph (That limited V-max might seem disappointing at first but, considering the lack of a proper windshield, it’s probably for the best.).
Only 70 Bristol Bullets are scheduled to be built, reportedly priced at about $330,000. If you want one, you’re going to have to take a trip to London and visit Bristol’s one and only showroom on Kensington High Street, the one and only place where you can purchase a new Bristol. Thankfully, there’s no secret door knock or password as far as we know…
Source: Bristol Cars