The Bullet is back

BRISTOL CARS are on the verge of releasing their first new model in more than a decade, with a V8-engined roadster aptly dubbed the ‘Bristol Bullet’ being produced to mark the classic firm’s 70th anniversary in 2017. 

There will be 70 Bristol Bullets produced, with each costing ‘less than €300,000’ and all being designed in Britain, incorporating some classic Bristol design features alongside a cultivated modern spin.

Powered by a 375hp 4.8 litre BMW V8 and weighing just 1,250 kg, the Bullet will be able to hit 100kmph in just 3.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 250kph. It will incorporate Bristol’s trademark tailfins, speedster-style humps, and be constructed from carbon fibre composite, rather than traditional aluminium used by the firm. 

Leather trimmed seats and fine-tuned suspension make for a comfortable rather than track-screeching journey bolstered by an eight-inch touch-screen and smartphone connectivity. 

One key feature, or rather non-feature, to note is that there is no roof whatsoever, making it fairly susceptible to the relentless British rain, but those who can afford the hefty price tag are buying history, not an umbrella. 

Prototype images are available on the Bristol Cars website but the finished article isn’t quite ready yet, although a camouflaged version was spotted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this summer.