SSC North America (formerly Shelby SuperCars Inc.) and not to be mistaken for Carroll Shelby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Shelby chose the 2020 Philadelphia Auto Show to unveil the production version of the Tuatara hypercar, which will be limited to just 100 units.
The SSC Tuatara is made in Richland, a Washington-based private car company with a base price of around $1.9 million. It holds the current world record with an average speed of 316.1 mph according to the Guinness world records.
Powering the Tuatara is a 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine pumping out 1750 hp when running on E85. When filled up with 91 octane fuel, peak power is lowered to 1350 hp. SSC has bold ambitions for its hypercar and believes it has a good chance of reaching 300 mph (483 km/h), putting it up with the likes of the Koenigsegg Regera and Hennessey Venom F5.
The result of a full decade of development and testing, the SSC Tuatara is the heir to the Ultimate Aero, which held the Guinness World Record for “Fastest Production Car in the World” from 2007-2010. The carbon fibre body is the work of renowned automotive designer Jason Castriota, who previously worked for Maserati and Ferrari.
It’s unclear how much customers are paying for their Tuatara’s but prices are thought to start at around $2 million.
The powertrain is as unique as the car itself. With the help of Nelson Racing Engines, SSC started from the ground up and created a brand new, twin-turbocharged 5.9-litre V8 featuring a flat-plane crankshaft. Producing 1,350 horsepower with 91 octane fuel or 1,750 horsepower with E85, the engine is mated to a robotic seven-speed transmission capable of sub-100 millisecond shifting in Track Mode.
History of SSC/Jerod Shelby
A few things worth knowing about the SSC and its owner Jerod Shelby- The SSC was founded by the current CEO Jerod Shelby in 1998, In 2004 the first ultimate Aero prototype was completed at the company’s headquarters in West Richland, Washington.
Shelby SuperCars changed its name to SSC North America as a result of a settlement with Carroll Shelby Licensing and Carroll Shelby International.
In 2006, the ultimate Aero prototype set the track record on Road&Track magazines Slalom course which caused it to break the existing record at that time held by Ferrari Enzo. It reached a top speed of 256.18MPH averaged over two runs in opposite directions. By July 2008, They announced they would be opening showrooms in Dubai by February of 2009.
By 2008 SSC planned to unveil the Ultimate Aero EV (Electric Vehicle) and they did in keeping with true fast SSC style they kept the charge time to 10 minutes which can be charged for a 200-mile run. https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/ssc-ultimate-aero-ev200-miles-with-10-minutes-recharging-ar69550.html
By July 17, 2011, SSC announced their next-generation sports car the Tuatara which uses a proprietary 6.9-liter V8 engine and is said to produce a rated output of 1350 hp and a maximum output of 1700 hp. In 2013 the Tuatara prototype made its way to the Dubai International Motor Show and titled the “Crown Jewel” of the event. Winning the hearts of many at the event. In 2015 the last Ultimate Aero XT was delivered, and that completed the production of the model. By 2018 the Tuatara was officially released at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
In 2020 Tuatara allegedly earns the world’s fastest production car record with 316.11 MPH with 2 runs averaged out (331 and 301) on a (closed) public roadway with street tires and non-race fuel. Some sources, however, have claimed that SSC falsified the speed displayed during the world record video, claiming that the Tuatara was traveling about 25% slower than claimed.
wikipedia.com
Regardless of What you may think or believe the Tuatara is beautiful in itself. SSC has done what they do best and delivered speed, design, and technology in a tight little package. It is expressly a thing of beauty meets beast!
