Almost 70 years after it initially made its mark on the British car industry, Bristol Cars will shoot back on to modern roads with the Bristol Bullet.

The two-seater roadster was inspired by an old speedster discovered beneath a sheet of tarpaulin at an old Bristol factory and, regardless of how it drives, the Bullet looks like a legitimate classic to us.

Its styling packs heaps of vintage flavour with looks from a bygone era but adds a modern twist for a unique and glamorous finish.

At a glance, you’d be able to fool the uninitiated into thinking that this was owned by a number of classic rock guitarists over the years, but there are tell-tale signs that don’t quite fit with something out of the 1950s, such as the door handles, the wheel alloys and the car’s rear quarter.

It’s hard to pick out anything tacky or distasteful, which for a car priced at £250,000 is just as well. That asking price hasn’t stood in the way of a few hardened Bristol collectors handing over cash to own one already.

It may look like a classic but the performance is anything but creaky. The first 70 Bullets will come with a non-turbo 4.8-litre 370bhp V8 engine – sourced from BMW – that can get from zero to 62mph in 3.8 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. That makes it as quick as an Audi R8 Spyder.

Sizewise, dimensions are apparently similar to that of a BMW Z4 but it’s said to be about 250kg lighter, tipping the scales at 1,130kg.

Hand-built in Chichester, the classy leather interior is finished in either traditional wooden panelling or a choice of carbon fibre weaves.

This vintage feel is modernised with a touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard that can mirror your smartphone via bluetooth or Wi-Fi. In another modern twist, exterior panels and many cockpit components are made of F1-quality carbon fibre.

Bristol will hand over the first Bullets to customers from January 2017.

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