Ultima Ultima Mk2 / Mk3 History

Lee Noble of Noble Motorsport created the first Ultima in 1983 as a Le Mans Group-C-inspired spaceframe roadster, powered by the PRV V6 from a Renault 30. The Mk1 was a single prototype that never reached customers; the improved Mk2 arrived in 1984 and 13 were produced before the Mk3 replaced it in 1989 with a new fibreglass body.

Despite near-microscopic production numbers the Noble-era Ultimas earned a remarkable footnote in automotive history: two Mk2 and two Mk3 cars were acquired by McLaren Cars and used during development of the McLaren F1 supercar in the early 1990s, serving as test mules to evaluate seating positions, gearbox packaging, and engine cooling arrangements.

In 1992 Lee Noble sold the Ultima name and intellectual property to brothers Ted and Richard Marlow, who incorporated Ultima Sports Ltd and set about transforming the car from a niche race-car kit into a credible road-legal supercar.