"Did you drive in the Grand Prix, mister?" asked the schoolboy in stunned amazement as he stared at the yellow sports car. "Ah, well no," I replied startled by his question, but then I realised it wasn't as silly as it first sounded.
After all the Ultima Spyder looks every bit a lean, mean racing machine capable of swapping paint on the track with world champs like Schumacher, Hill and Villeneuve, and we were just a short brutal blast away from Albert Park, the scene of the Australian Grand Prix.
The Ultima wouldn't have been out of place at Albert Park, and while its makers claim the Spyder could cut the mustard on the track or in events like Targa Tasmania, it's also built to blaze on public roads.
British-built, the Ultima is being offered here by its Brisbane-based importer Ultima Cars Australia in two forms, a purposeful coupe and the stunning Spyder that we drove just after the Melbourne International Motor Show where it made its spectacular debut.
The Ultima is the brainchild of a couple of Englishmen, Ted Marlow and Steve Smith, who have built around 90 since 1989, including two which were used by McLaren for drivetrain development of the awesome McLaren F1 GT.
So taken was McLaren's test driver, former Grand Prix racer Jonathan Palmer that he bought an Ultima for his own personal use.
With credentials like that you have to take the Ultima seriously even though it looked incongruous parked outside the smart cafe in the trendy suburd of Port Melbourne.
With compliance to Australian Design Rules the Ultima can be fully road registered and as a result it's quite possible that it could be seen parked outside your local cafe. Even so it's more likely to be seen in competition.
Although it's not at all out of sorts rumbling along in the peak-hour slog or idling at the traffic lights, it is clearly designed to be hurled along winding country roads for this really is a sports racer in drag.
The foundation for the Ultima is a strong MIG-welded spaceframe chassis, off each corner of which hangs independent suspension consisting of unequal length upper and lower wishbones with fully adjustable coil-over shocks. Neoprene bushes are standard for ride comfort, but anyone wanting race car precision can have rose joints.
The neat thing about having fully adjustable suspension is that it's relatively simple to raise or lower the ride height. It can be taken up to 125mm for driving 'round town or down to 64mm for chasing the chequer.
Huge ventilated disc brakes capably handle the stopping. In standard trim the discs are 305mm in diameter front and back with two-pot callipers doing the hard work, but for extra stopping power it's possible to have 317mm discs with four-pot callipers.
Keeping all this in contact with the road are three-piece alloy wheels, 8x15-inch at the front and 12x17-inch at the rear.
Providing the Ultima's prodigious grip are Bridgestone tyres, 225/45ZR16 tyres at the front and 315/35R17 at the rear.
Behind the cockpit is a Ford 5.0-litre V8 engine that comes from Ford's SVO operation in the US. With its aluminium high-flow GT40 heads, high-lift cam, fuel-injection and Aussie-spec Ford electronics, plus a set of Ultima-designed exhaust headers the big V8 pumps out a whopping 230kW and 400Nm, even with catalytic converters and all the polution gear needed to meet our exhaust emission requirements.
If that's not enough, it's possible to dial up more power through the pages of the Ford SVO catalogue, even to the extreme of fitting a Paxton supercharger that boosts the output by 30 per cent.
Backing onto the engine is a Porsche G50 five-speed transaxle. An optional six-speed is available although the extra ratio seems superfluous given the enormous torque of the big V8.
Clothing the Spyder is a purposeful two-seater body made of GRP, or optional Kevlar for an 80kg weight saving, with swing-up doors and a tiny perspex screen to direct the breeze up and over the occupants' heads.
Access to the front or rear of the Ultima is through a couple of one-piece flip-up body sections, giving ready access for simple servicing on the run.
Inside it's possible to specify the Ultima with the creature comforts that suit the owner's needs and wants, whether it be stripped down for a competition car or dressed-up for a road car with the lot.
A hint of the Ultima's potential comes from the white-faced speedo that dominates the comprehensive instrument cluster, it goes all the way to 300km/h.
Weighing just 850kg with 230kW under your right foot the Spyder's potential is crystal clear. It's makers claim it will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds, 160km/h in 6.8 sec and a top speed of 288km/h in 14.4 sec, while nothing in our short blast around Melbourne showed any reason to doubt the claims.
Getting into the Ultima is pretty much race car-like as you flip the door up, step over the wide sill, and slide down into the driver's seat. Ahead of you. through the small leather-clad steering wheel are all the instruments you could possibly want, to your right is the gear lever for the Porsche five-speed.
As you settle into the snug surroundings your mind wanders to images of race track duels but here we are in Port Melbourne.
Given the Ultima's claim to a road/race role Port Melbourne provided a suitable backdrop for our test, although there was little opportunity to sample its full potential.
The Ford V8 burst into life the instant I hit the starter and settled into a rhythmic idle that spelt serious intent. An exploratory squeezr of the right pedal saw the yellow beast explode forward in a frenzy of acceleration that sent us flying past the speed limit in a flash.
On suburban streets the ride is surprisingly supple, it's quite comfortable and no harsher than any sports car.
Equally surprisingly, we only once bottomed out he front bodywork, when leaving a servo after topping up the twin 40-litre fuel tanks with premium unleaded.
As could be expected the steering is fast and direct with plenty of road feel, and quite light.
Point the Ultima at a corner and it first wants to run wide, but it quickly assumes a balanced poise that sees it precisely follow its nose.
Hit the throttle on the exit and the tail will slide out but it snaps back into place with a quick opposite flick of the steering wheel.
All Ultimas coming to Australia, and Ultima Cars Australia has the approval to bring in up to 25 per year, will come from the British factory fully built-up and before they are handed over each will be checked out by touring car racer Dick Johnson whose organisation has been contracted to do all pre-delivery checks.
For the Ultima experience you will need to part with $178,000 for the Spyder or $187,000 for the Coupe.
