British Automaker Bounces Back From Bankruptcy With Retro BMW-Powered Roadster
British automaker Bristol has unveiled its first car since it was rescued from insolvency five years ago.
The Bristol Bullet bows just in time for the anniversary of the founding of Bristol Cars Limited, celebrating 70 years of luxury motoring. According to Bristol Cars, the new owners “discovered a speedster, neglected and ignored under a dusty tarpaulin in its old factory.” And thus began a new journey to rejuvenate the brand, with the Bullet drawing its bold and confident design from decades of Bristol engineering innovation and heritage. The Bullet will be hand made in Chichester with the body manufactured from carbon fiber composites to achieve high strength, rigidity and a low weight.
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Although it certainly features retro styling, the Bullet is quite modern on the inside. It features a touchscreen embedded into the dash to provide digital radio, smartphone connectivity and both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. In addition, audio playback over Wi-Fi is possible, while screen-mirroring from supported smartphone devices allows the driver to use their preferred navigation app and playback of streaming audio.
Under the hood is a 4.8-liter V8 engine manufactured by BMW and finished by Bristol. It allows the Bullet to hit 62 mph from a standstill in 3.8 seconds, thanks to its 370 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. Gross weight for the Bullet comes in at 2,755 pounds and it has a top speed of 155 mph.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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