Australia’s own answer to the world of high performance Supercars – Rear wheel drive, fully ADR complied, Supercharged V8 convertible – Bullet Roadster.
Current price guide – $15,000 to $25,000
1999 Rover V8 Bullet
Current price guide – $20,000 to $30,000
2000 – 2002 Pre-Production Prototypes
Current price guide – $25,000 to $40,000
With a shortage of Rover V8 engines to fulfill orders, the decision was made to change to the Toyota 1UZFE 4.0 litre V8. This engine was originally found in the Toyota Soarer and the Lexus LS400. With an aluminium block and heads, 6 bolt mains, 32 valve and quad cams, these technologically advanced engines were renowned for their reliability and smoothness.
Naturally aspirated 1UZ cars were built using the original idea of the standard MX5 body on the Bullet chassis. With the idea of supercharging on this engine and the increase in Power and Torque, an upgrade of the drivetrain to include a Borg Warner Limited Slip Differential and heavy duty clutch/gearbox was needed. At this stage, the decision was made to move away from the original MX5 body styling and shape new rear guards and side skirts.
This was the start of the “wide body” cars. From this point on wards, the Bullet idea grew into a venture that was more than anyone could have dream about.
2003 – 2009 ADR Bullet Roaster
Current price guide – $40,000 – $85,000
The move to new premises signalled the start of the process towards full Australian Design Rules (ADR) compliancy. The Bullet Roadster and Roadster SS were completely redesigned with:
- A lightweight, but much stronger chassis that exceeded the torsional rigidity specifications by twice the required amount.
- Exterior panels that were made of a carbon composite material which kept the weight to a minimum. Visual styling was enhanced with all new panel work that had tighter tolerances. Fibreglass was finished to an exceptionally high level with attention to detail the number one priority.
- Full remanufactured Bullet Specification 4.0 litre V8 engines that met ADR 37-01 Emission compliancy. The SS model contained forged decompressed pistons, balanced and blue printed assembly, cylinder head work, custom Sprintex M90 Supercharger system with dual staged throttle bodies and advanced engine management. Power was increased to 320kws and 575Nm of torque. The engine bay was fully detailed with painted ancillaries and finished off with carbon fibre engine covers.
- Braking was upgraded to Quad piston Brembo front brakes with 330mm slotted rotors and 18 Inch x 8 and 18 Inch x 9 ROH 3 piece rims were fitted. (SS model only)
- Drivetrain was upgraded to include a heavy duty 10 Inch Clutch setup in front of a 5 speed gearbox, custom 3 Inch tailshaft and a Hydratrak Limited Slip Differential. (SS model only) An optional 4 speed automatic was also available.
- New Interior styling included Bullet leather seats and door trims (in owner’s choice of colour), Alpine CD MP3 player and speakers, Immobiliser with central locking, Air Conditioning and Power steering.
The new Bullet achieved full ADR compliancy in early 2003 which meant that it was the first low volume Australian built vehicle to achieve this. The Bullet Roadster was sold for $98,000 and the Bullet Roadster SS was $120,000.
