Bristol Bullet Unveiled With A BMW V8

Ladies and gents, what you see here is the Bristol Bullet and the British marque is marking its 70th anniversary with the unveiling of its first new model in 12 years. What is it all about?

• 370 horsepower V8 from a BMW (4.8-litre N/A V8 from previous X5)
• Prices start from $330,000
• ZF six speed manual / auto box
• Retro design apparently by Pininfarina
• Touchscreen with Bluetooth and WiFi
• Carbon composites and aluminium result in 1100kg curb weight
• 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds
• Top speed limited to 250 km/h
• Only 70 of them will be made

“This unique speedster sets the tone for the future of Bristol Cars – with a focus on luxury, performance and elegance,” says General Manager Julian Ramshaw. “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 first used the Bullet name 100 years ago on a World War One fighter plane, and according to Indian businessman Kamal Siddiqi who rescued the company from insolvency in 2011, will be the last Bristol to feature a V8. A new hybrid GT is expected by 2020.