Bullet
Mitchell Tulk18 Feb 2017
NEWS

Forgotten cars of Australia: The Bullet Roadster

A major performance boost is just what Mazda's esteemed MX-5 has always needed

The MX-5 has always been criticised for lacking power but a small Queensland company has been providing the perfect solution to this problem since the 1990s.

Specialising in performance upgrades, most notably superchargers for a large selection of cars, Bullet first built its very own sports car in 1996. Based off the NA series of Mazda MX-5, the Roadster had everything underneath replaced and improved to handle more power, among other reasons. A space-frame chassis was used, as was fibreglass for the front end to keep weight low and provide a visual difference from the MX-5.

Other parts sourced from Mazda included the engine, transmission and brakes, which all came from a series IV RX-7. The 13B turbo rotary produced 225kW of power, considerably more than the top MX-5's 1.8 litre four-cylinder, which only mustered 99kW.

A new generation followed in 1999, but this time around the powerplant was now a 4.6-litre Rover V8 that could also be found in TVRs. A Borg Warner gearbox and heavy duty clutch were also fitted, but the body didn't change with this upgrade.

2000-2002 models are regarded as pre-production prototypes, as these became the Roadster and Roadster SS. The engine was once again swapped, with the heart of the car now being a Toyota 4.0-litre V8 that was offered in both naturally-aspirated and supercharged form.

Visually the car was redesigned and beefed up, introducing the new 'wide-body' phase with more fibreglass for the likes of the rear guards and side skirts.

The Roadster and SS version were the first to comply with Australian Design Rules (ADR) and brought higher levels of performance. Handling was superb, thanks to the low weight, large four-pot Brembo brakes and 18-inch wheels wrapped in fat rubber.

Straight-line performance was just as impressive, with 320kW/575Nm for the SS powering the little convertible to 100km/h in 4.7secs and down the quarter mile in 13 and a half seconds.

All this grunt came at a cost however, with the base naturally-aspirated model starting off at $98,000, while the supercharged version was priced at $120,000. Still to this day, these cars are bringing big money, with this iteration demanding anywhere from $40,000 to $85,000, depending on spec level.

According to the Bullet website, the company is currently working on a new project that will move away from the MX-5 donor car while showcasing the latest technology.

Vehicle pictured available for sale on Carsales

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Written byMitchell Tulk
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