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Shelby SuperCars (SSC), the American supercar manufacturer and creator of the world record breaking Ultimate Aero, is proud to introduce its latest contribution to automobile enthusiasts worldwide. Following several years of design and development of its revolutionary new supercar, SSC has named its new car TUATARA (pronounced twu‐tar‐ah).
“The design specifications for the Next Generation SSC were so extreme; we knew early on that a proper name would be a key piece of the puzzle for this project,” says Jerod Shelby, Founder, Lead Designer and CEO of SSC.
The name “Tuatara” was inspired by a modern day New Zealand reptile that bears the same name. A direct descendent of the dinosaur, this reptile’s name translated from the Maori language means “peaks on the back,” which is quite fitting, given the winglets on the back of the new car. While the Tuatara is a very unique creature, there was a particular property of this reptile that immediately married it with SSC. The Tuatara possesses the fastest evolving DNA in the world, and amongst the world’s greatest supercar manufacturers, so does SSC.
Mr. Shelby explains, “Most manufacturers essentially use the same basic model and body shape for up to 10 years, while only making small refinements to it each year. After only three years in production with the Ultimate Aero, SSC’s Tuatara is about to monumentally evolve in the areas of sophistication, design, aerodynamics and shear all‐around performance. We felt that the fastest evolving DNA was a perfect definition of SSC’s latest project.”
With major assembly development entering the final phases for the Tuatara, the engine package completed its final testing and validation during a last full day of dyno testing last week where the newly developed SSC power plant was put through its paces in a grueling effort to find any weaknesses. At completion of all the durability and performance testing, the Tuatara power plant passed all project specifications with flying colors. This newly developed 423 cu.in. twin turbo V - 8 engine will come standard in the Tuatara producing 1350 horsepower and a staggering 1280 lb - ft of torque running on standard United States “premium” 91 octane fuel and has also shown that it is easily capable of over 1700 HP for those owners that don’t want or need to be buffered by regulations. After three years of engineering, the final results are an amazingly docile package with incredible daily drivable characteristics that truly mask the savage beast within.
“This is a proud moment for all that were part of the engineering team on this project. This amazingly versatile package has already shown that it can easily be driven on a daily basis in any climate or environment in the world and at the same time can roll out of the pit area onto a track like Nurburgring and easily ha ndle any rigors that record will require . Versatile, efficient, docile, savage...Engineering success! ” s ays SSC founder and lead designer Jerod Shelby .
In anticipation of the Tuatara being put through paces by the media and customers, that most supercars won’t endure , SSC engineering even required this Tuatara engine to complete a durability test s where the engine is run at a set RPM of 5500 and then a ma ssive load is placed on the motor and held there for a full 5 minutes while all facets of the engine internally and externally were data logged. At the 5 minute point, the engine was dropped back to an idle for 30 seconds to let the exhaust valves cool, a nd then immediately ramped back up to 5500 RPM’ s for another full 5 minutes of extreme load.
“Even if it were possible to climb a steep and constant hill at 275 mph, with the aerodynamic drag that would be associated with that speed, you would never see th e kind of load we are testing our engines at. It was quite an experience to watch an engine be put through these kinds of extreme tests, explains Shelby. I’ve never personally seen exhaust headers glow orange/red for that long period of time. I was wait ing for metal to start dripping on the floor. But not only did metal not turn to liquid during the grueling testing, the engine was torn down for internal inspection when all testing was completed, and every component still looked brand new. The Tuatara is going to be an exciting car that redefines the super car industry, Shelby states with a smile”.
Shelby SuperCars has confirmed that it will attend this year’s Monterey car week in California with a very special guest: the 2019 SSC Tuatara.
Yes, Tuatara. The highly anticipated hypercar we first saw way back in 2011. We’re promised this 2019 car will feature an ‘unmatched drag coefficient’ and ‘track-level handling characteristics’, along with a final promise that’s the most interesting and important.
It will “easily surpass” the current world record top speed. Which means it’s gunning straight for the Koenigsegg Agera RS’s 278mph.
No more details have yet been revealed – other than the aforementioned gauntlet and a set of shady teasers above – but we can tell you that when we first saw the original Tuatara, that promised a 276mph top speed from a 6.9-litre biturbo V8 churning out 1,350bhp.
Expect something similar then for this new car. Can’t tell you much about the styling, other than Jason Castriota’s original design looks to have been mildly updated for the new car. No bad thing: the original Tuatara still looks stunning.
“Years of methodical engineering applied to the Tuatara will be revealed in the unparalleled performance, driver experience and striking presence of the car,” SSC tell us.
It’ll go on show on 24 August, at which point we’ll learn a whole lot more about the shape of speed in 2019. Watch this space…
SSC North America continues the tease the 2019 Tuatara as the company has released a video of the car’s engine.
While the engine was originally teased back in 2013, SSC says this powertrain is “newly developed” and “differs significantly” from the one created that was created five year. Full details will be announced on August 24th, but the company said the “production-ready power plant will provide the hypercar with performance specifications that far exceed what the engineering team originally set out to achieve.”
That’s not very specific but, five years ago, the company said the Tuatara would have a twin-turbo 6.9-liter V8 with 1350 hp (1007 kW / 1368 PS) and 1280 lb-ft (1733 Nm) of torque. The automaker went on to say the engine was capable of producing more than 1700 hp (1268 kW / 1723 PS).
While there’s no word on the displacement or output of the new engine, SSC says the Tuatara “will not only surpass the expectations set by earlier announcements, but also outperform other hypercars competing for top speed and all-around performance.” This builds on previous claims that the Tuatara has a “top speed that is projected to easily surpass the current world record.”
While SSC didn’t mention the record holder by name, the company is presumably talking about the Koenigsegg Agera RS. The model hit a top speed of 284.55 mph (457.94 km/h) last year and had an average two-way top speed of 277.87 mph (447.18 km/h).
Those are some pretty ambitious targets, but SSC isn’t exactly a stranger to top speed records as their Ultimate Aero become the world’s fastest production car when it hit averaged a top speed of 256.18 mph (412.28 km/h) back in 2007.
Monterey Car Week isn’t just a soiree where members of America’s moneyed investor class come together and scowl at each other on a golf course, though that is most of it. Sometimes it comes with actual car news. Surprising news, even. And the biggest surprise we’ve seen so far is that the SSC Tuatara—the American hypercar promised way back in 2011—has resurfaced with an apparent 1,750 horsepower. Hey, great!
You may remember SSC North America (formerly Shelby SuperCars) as the makers of the SSC Aero, which held the fastest car in the world title for a couple years. It has no relation to Carroll Shelby at all, but that’s a nice coincidence to have when you’re building fast cars.
After that, but still way back in 2011, the Washington shop promised America’s take on the hypercar—something with a 265 mph top speed and 1,350 HP on premium gas. We got a target sale date of 2013, but that came and went with no actual car hitting the market.
Lo and behold, at Pebble Beach 2018, the Tuatara has returned. The company claims production is “ready to begin,” and now power is rated at a max of 1,750 HP on E85—1,350 HP on 91 octane gas. Those figures come from a 5.9-liter flat-plane crank twin-turbo V8 engine “assembled in collaboration with Nelson Racing Engines,” the company claims in a news release.
It also boasts an all-carbon fiber body designed by Pininfarina, Bertone and Saab veteran Jason Castriota, and it’s a body that certainly has remained striking over the years. It’s said to have a super-low drag coefficient of 0.279.
Beyond that, no other details were released today, most notably price or production start date, though they say it’s limited to just 100 cars.
Will it happen? Is SSC for real this time? As we’ve said here before, we’ll believe it when we see it for sale. But it’s interesting to see some movement on this thing after so many years.
Welcome to Project ‘Exceed’: 1,750 horses of earth-shattering speed and aero
We wanted the engineering to exceed anything we had done before and what our competitors are doing,” explains SSC’s Jerod Shelby, CEO of SSC North America.
“But the overarching goal was 300mph.”
Welcome everyone, to the latest salvo in the race to build the world’s fastest car. And – at least according to SSC – the only salvo that’ll make it there. “The knowledge I have of our competitors, I feel that we’re the only ones that really have a legitimate shot because of the drag numbers and the horsepower that we’re producing.”
Let’s talk horsepower first. You’ll know that the 2019 Tuatara will produce 1,350bhp on regular 91 octane fuel, or a whopping 1,750bhp on E85. The engine is a completely bespoke motor, built from the ground up with help from a chap called Tom Nelson working out of California.
What started out in life as a 6.9-litre V8 is now actually a flex-steel, 5.9-litre, flat-plane-crank V8 with a pair of turbos and dual injectors per cylinder. “It sounds amazing,” Jerod confirms. Should do – the redline is 8,800rpm. “It’s a very versatile powerline, very short stroke.”
Jerod tells us that “if you have half a tank of 91 octane fuel and half of E85, you’ll get around 1,500bhp, it’s tuned to adjust automatically”. This potent V8 is matched to a computerised seven-speed manual. “We’re working with AutoMac in Italy. It’s a robotic system, all hydraulic, with three driving modes: comfort, sport and track.”
There’s hydraulic suspension that obviously changes the ride height according to the setting – from 2.75in at track height, 3.75in in sport and 4.25in in comfort – and we’re assured that in track mode, that transmission is “very, very fast. It’s quite aggressive,” Jerod laughs.
The dampers come via Penske, and there are active front and rear wings. Which ties us neatly into the aero on this car. Step forward Jason Castriota – a name surely familiar to regular readers of TopGear.com as the man responsible for the creation of the stunning Glickenhaus P4/5, Maserati Birdcage 75th Concept, the Maserati Granturismo, the Ferrari 599GTO and a myriad of other creations he can’t claim credit for confidentiality reasons.
“The aerodynamics have already exceeded where we want to be,” he told TG, “but there’s still work to be done. Currently [the drag coefficient] is 0.279 when we’re running the aerodish wheel.”
He concedes that there’s work to be done on refining certain elements. “We have so much velocity coming into [the side intakes] because we got so clean around the front wheel, that we’re actually losing drag counts.
“So we can actually now change the internal ducting on the rear radiator, play a little bit more around the front wheel and rear wing profile to which will lower [the drag coefficient] a bit more while still dialing in more downforce,” he adds.
The rear wing is obviously active, but the two little extra wings are static, there to help under braking. “It’s going to really capture that tumbling air and create more of a parachute. There has been quite a bit of work to be done in CFD, and the underbody has all been sorted.”
Clearly the Tuatara has been designed with the challenges of airflow at VMAX at the forefront of the thinking from the outset. “It’s not just about the shape [of the car] itself, it’s about getting air in and out of the car efficiently.”
He notes how all current hypercars have similar frontal area – height, width etc – so there is a lot to gain on moving air internally through the car. “What is so unique about this car, much like a Le Mans or F1 car, is the way we’ve designed it to efficiently it move air around the passengers and the mechanicals . The exterior shape was great out of the box, and this allowed us to focus on refining the internal ducting to maximise efficiency of air through the car.” Hence the low drag coefficient.
Speaking of cradling, that chassis comprises a carbon fibre monocoque, built in-house by SSC in Washington, because, according to Castriota, “the aerospace industry focused in that area are developing bleeding edge solutions in this field, so we have some great partners that know what they’re doing.”
If you’re a potential customer, you might like to know that the chassis was “designed to support a targa version” too, so that’s a possibility at some point in the future. But first, there’s the small matter of building this one, along with a high downforce version for those who want to chase some track records.”
SSC confirms it’s in the final stages of testing certification for the new Tuatara. It’s aiming to finish it in May 2019, and the first cars are set to be deliver one to three months after that. And there’ll only be 100 Tuataras built.
“It’s going to be properly extreme, as a hypercar should be.” Castriota said.
Hey world, heads up—we might have a new fastest production car on our hands. Hypercar maker SSC closed down a long, straight strip of Nevada highway this weekend for a top speed world record attempt using its 1,750-horsepower Tuatara, and according to one anonymous tipster, they pulled it off.
According to the Pahrump Valley Times, the Nevada Department of Transportation confirmed late last week that a section of Highway 160 between Pahrump and Las Vegas would be shut down over the weekend for the record attempt using the SSC Tuatara hypercar. SSC North America planned to use the strip on both Saturday and Sunday, so the newspaper advised motorists to expect delays along the route.
The weekend has come and gone—did SSC succeed in setting a new record? According to an anonymous tipster who spoke to Carscoops, yes. We've got a new record holder, they claimed, though the exact speed was not shared.
SSC used to hold the all-time speed record with its Ultimate Aero model, which was then beaten by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport in 2010. Clearly, they want that title back, as they've been very public about their quest to break 300 mph and desire to set a new world record with it.
SSC CEO Jerod Shelby wouldn't confirm to The Drive whether it beat the record or not, but released this statement on all the speculation:
After we'd spent years in stealth mode, we're delighted with the sudden burst of interest in SSC's Tuatara, whether it's video of our test against another hypercar, or speculation that we've blocked off a road to drive at high speeds, which we do a couple of times a week.
At SSC, we've made no secret of our goal to hit 300 mph, and every mile per hour gained, beyond 250, is the result of our team's persistent pursuit of excellence over the last decade. We've extracted impressive figures of the Tuatara's 5.9L, 1,750 hp V8, and are still floored by how much more it has to give. Stay tuned. We know where to find you!
This section of Highway 160 was the same chunk of road used by the Koenigsegg Agera RS to set for the current official production car top speed record in 2017. To make it official in the Guinness World Records book, the record had to be an average of two runs, which the Agera RS achieved by running the strip of Highway 160 one way and then back for an average speed of 277.9 mph.
A Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ prototype hit 304.77 mph, but they didn't do it a second time, so it didn't qualify as an official Guinness World Record.
If that tipster is right, we'll probably get to watch the record run. MG Entertainment LLC, which was hired to film the attempt, received a permit to use the road from NDOT, the Pahrump Valley Times reports.
The Tuatara itself is absurdly fast, either way, with a 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 1,350 hp on 91-octane pump gas or 1,750 hp on E85, the latter of which is clearly what they're using for this record run. It weighs just 2,750 lbs and has a drag coefficient of 0.279, according to company stats cited by Carscoops. Either way, post the run already, SSC, and go send it around the Nürburgring next for good measure.
There’s a new “fastest production vehicle” in the world, and it’s produced by an American hypercar company. On October 10, the SSC Tuatara annihilated the previous record set by the Koenigsegg Agera RS. Over two runs, the Tuatara averaged 316.11 mph, smashing the Agera RS’ 277.9 mph average.
That average doesn’t tell the whole story, though. The Tuatara hit a top speed of 331.15 mph in its last run, setting the bar even higher for the highest speed achieved on a public road. Just let that sink in for a quick minute. 331.15 mph in a production car on the road. The Agera RS topped out at 284.3 mph, while a longtail Chiron prototype hit 304.77 mph on a test track. (Since the Chiron was not a production car and was run on a test track, that doesn't count toward the official record.)
In case you were wondering, the Tuatara’s other run to complete the average was 301.07 mph. For these records to count, you must do consecutive runs in opposite directions within an hour of each other — this accounts for wind and elevation changes in the road. Officials (including Guinness World Records) were in attendance to independently verify all the data and confirm that SSC did indeed break the previous world record.
SSC chose a seven-mile stretch of State Route 160 near Pahrump, Nevada, as the driving location. As you’d expect, the entire road was shut down for the record attempt. Oliver Webb, a well-known racing driver, was chosen to pilot the Tuatara to its top speed. Wind was the biggest issue on the day of driving, and Webb thinks the Tuatara has even more speed left in its tank.
“There was definitely more in there. And with better conditions, I know we could have gone faster,” said Webb. “As I approached 331 mph, the Tuatara climbed almost 20 mph within the last five seconds. It was still pulling well. As I told Jerod [Shelby], the car wasn’t running out of steam yet. The crosswinds are all that prevented us from realizing the car’s limit.”
This record comes 10 years after SSC set a record with its first car, the Ultimate Aero. The Tuatara’s performance far outclasses the Ultimate Aero’s, and it put up the numbers to show it. Nothing about this specific SSC Tuatara is any different from a production version. In fact, this Tuatara is privately owned. It has the same flat-plane crank 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers all Tuataras. When run on E85 (as this one was), it’s capable of 1,750 horsepower. Running it on 91 octane lowers power to 1,350 horses. A seven-speed automated manual transmission does the shifting.
The Tuatara’s aerodynamic profile (and of course the massive power) help it achieve the high top speed. The coefficient of drag is a crazy-low 0.279. Active aero helps it maintain similar downforce characteristics for the driver from low-to-high speeds. It’s one hell of a machine.
Last week we published a story and video revealing that the SSC Tuatara had achieved a new production car speed record, hitting a two way average of 316.11mph (508.73kmh).
Obviously, the film was going to be closely analysed and in the days since, questions have been raised about it and whether the Tuatara actually hit the speeds shown in the video. Although Top Gear was aware the record attempt was taking place and received permission to run the footage early, we were not involved in the filming, production or creation of the film.
The issues concern the video which has three separate camera angles, most pertinently a 360 degree view on the left, and a view down the road on the right. The video was presented to Top Gear as footage taken from the single 331mph run. Those who have questioned the video have mostly analysed and found issues with the road view, using distance markers and elapsed time to calculate speed. They’ve also queried the Tuatara’s gearing.
We put these concerns to Jerod Shelby, CEO of SSC.
TG: Can you confirm that each of the camera angles used for the film were from the same 331mph run?
JS: “No, I cannot. We allowed the production company to release a film that captured the action during the record attempt, but we never planned on it being the validation video that would be used for performance verification or the Guinness submission. We believe the released video has some timing, syncing and coding issues and we are still trying to get to the bottom of what videos, overlays and audio were used.”
Why did the speedometer only read to 301mph, and why is there such a difference between the speedometer reading, telemetry feed and figure shown on the laptop screen?
“We became aware during testing the week leading up to the record attempt that the driver display was off by approximately 14-15mph at 200mph. We were not sure how inaccurate the display would be at 300mph and beyond and we had always planned on relying solely on the precision of the satellite data to record and display speed since we knew the driver display speed would not be as accurate at those speeds. The original design specification for the driver display had a maximum top speed reading of 301 because beyond our record run we never envisioned someone trying to go that fast! But rest assured, regardless of whether or not our customers will ever try to achieve over 300mph, chassis #1 and all future Tuataras will be programmed to read up to 350mph.”
You used Dewetron telemetry for this speed run, can you explain the accuracy of this system and any potential variance in its calculations?
“Since we were trying to achieve speeds above almost any standard automotive capabilities, instead of using an automotive GPS measurement system we went the extra mile and expense ($25,000-$30,000) to use a military grade piece of equipment that is also used for ballistic missile, aerospace and rocket launch testing and measurements. We also used it because Guinness approved this Dewetron system for its accuracy prior to our 2007 world record and it has now been used to validate four of the last five world top speed production car records.
“Dewetron tested, certified and trained SSC staff remotely (due to COVID) on the equipment for use in the Tuatara prior to the record attempts. Two onsite witnesses verified equipment readings between each run. Per Dewetron’s request we have boxed up their devices and shipped them to Dewetron for them to complete a post evaluation test for verification of accuracy.”
Has the data been sent to Guinness for their independent validation?
“Not yet, as we are still waiting on a couple of third-party pieces of information prior to submitting our package.”
What gearing did the car have, are the figures people have quoted correct?
“No, the gear ratios [people have talked about] are incorrect. The correct ratios/speeds, utilising the 2.92 final drive ratio, for the top speed model Tuatara with an 8,800rpm rev limit are as follows:
“Oliver [Webb, the driver] is travelling at 236mph when he shifts from 5th to 6th at 7,700rpm (which tracks almost exactly to gear ratio data) and he pushed close to the top of 6th achieving 331.1 MPH at 8,600rpm which tracks with our theoretical of 333.4mph @ 8,800rpm.”
Shelby went on to give us more information about the specific set up and technical specifications of the car, including the fact it has approximately 349kg of downforce at 311mph (500kmh), at which point the drag has risen from 0.279Cd to 0.314. The vehicle mass was 1,474kg (1,384kg kerbweight, plus 90kg of driver and ancillaries) and with the 345/30 ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rear tyres running 49psi rather than a normal running pressure of 35psi, the tyre circumference was calculated to be 2264mm rather than 2248mm.
Today Dewetron has further stoked the fire by confirming that none of its employees were present and that it has “neither approved nor validated any test results”.
So plenty more for the rumour mill to chew on. SSC is obviously under pressure at the moment, but seems confident of its data. As full ratification requires runs in two directions, the current record is not Bugatti’s 304.773mph as they only ran one way at Ehra-Lessein, but the 277.871mph two-way average recording by a Koenigsegg Agera RS back in 2017. On the same bit of tarmac between Las Vegas and Pahrump in Nevada.
If SSC’s attempt is ratified, it gives Hennessey, Koenigsegg and Bugatti (if the Bolide comes good) a much higher bar to aim at than we expected. In the meantime all this proves is that despite the ludicrous numbers involved, we’re all still addicted to top speed. Like you, we await the arrival of the verified data and video footage with interest.
Update: 29 October
More details have come to light. A statement from SSC reads as follows: “Somehow, there was a mixup on the editing side, and I regret to admit that the SSC team hadn’t double checked the accuracy of the video before it was released. We also hadn’t realised that not one, but two different cockpit videos existed, and were shared with the world…
“At first glance, it appears that the videos released have differences in where the editors had overlaid the data logger (which displays speed), in relation to the car’s location on the run. That variance in ‘sync points’ accounts for differing records of the run.”
In other words, SSC is admitting that footage from two different runs was compiled to make the released film, and those runs weren’t perfectly synchronised. SSC goes on to state that they’ll be releasing further footage as soon as they can, and that after Dewetron’s statement that they weren’t involved in the set-up, approval or validation of the runs, SSC is “submitting the Dewetron equipment and speed sensor for further analysis and verification of that equipment’s accuracy”. And it is of course the data analysis, rather than the film, that will provide the final proof.
To avoid any validation issues, the Tuatara was equipped with multiple satellite tracking systems including two Racelogic VBox systems, a Life Racing tracking system, two Garmin systems, and a trap speed system from the International Mile Racing Association.
Jim Lau, technical director for Racelogic North America, was onsite during the record runs and validated the high-speed runs' data as accurate. Nürburgring taxi driver Robert Mitchell, who was present for the record attempt in December, was also on hand to witness the speed runs.
Lau and SSC CEO Jerod Shelby provided Motor Authority the Racelogic VBox's data file. The data file has been independently checked and verified for MA by Eddie Nakato, founder of AR Motorsports.
"Good satellite signal, did all the things they said they did, and the data matches up. It's as legit as it can be," Nakato said.
For the record attempt that fell short in December, the SSC team swapped the final drive ratio to 3.167 from the original 2.92 used for the record attempt in October. This change in final gear ratio shortened the gearing in an attempt to get more speed in a shorter distance given the 2.3 miles the Tuatara had to work with before hitting the mile braking zone. The same drive ratio was also used this time as the venue stayed the same.
Issues encountered during the December record attempt prompted the SSC team to re-engineer the cooling system with larger intercoolers, more water capacity in the water-to-air intercoolers, and increased venting on the dry-sump oil system. Shelby noted that all future Tuatara models will get these changes and they will be retrofitted to all Tuataras already on the road today.
The Tuatara is powered by a Nelson Racing built 5.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 with up to 1,350 hp on 91 octane pump gas and as much as 1,750 hp on E85. A 7-speed automated manual transmission built in Italy by CIMA sends power to the rear wheels.
During the first pass on Jan. 17 the car pushed 24 pounds of boost in 6th and 7th gears. This, teamed with E85 fuel, gave the car approximately 1,500 hp and 1,070 lb-ft of torque. For the second run, also on E85, the engine output was upped to the full 1,750 hp and 1,322 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm as the car used the full 28 pounds of boost during the second half of 7th gear.
Caplin and the Tuatara hit the top speed of 286.1 mph in 1.9 miles and hit 244 mph in one mile. It took 2.87 seconds for the Tuatara to accelerate from 274 to 286 mph. "At 275 mph this car is accelerating ten times faster than any other production car in the world," engine builder Tom Nelson said.
Shelby said he's less concerned with what other manufacturers are doing and more concerned with finding out the true capabilities of the Tuatara. Shelby told MA that SSC will make further attempts in the coming months to improve upon the record, and this is considered part of ongoing high-speed testing. The CEO expects the car to top 300 mph with the full 28 pounds of boost in 5th, 6th, and 7th gears in the same 2.3-mile stretch.
Yes, Shelby wants to send the Tuatara around the 12.9-mile Nordschleife loop at the Nürburgring. We've certainly seen all measure of cars tackle the Green Hell, from one-off manufacturer projects to mass-production SUVs and all kinds of in-development automaker prototypes. We've also seen supercars and hypercars aim for the vaunted overall track record, and more often than not, those efforts come up short. That's because a quick lap isn't just about the car, but also the driver and weather conditions. And when you have a 12.9-mile circuit, getting everything perfect for one lap is extremely difficult.
Speaking recently to Muscle Cars & Trucks, Shelby reportedly admitted as much.
"I think it’s such an extreme and technical track,” he said, according to MC&T. "You gotta have the right driver, you gotta have a great vehicle, and you do a lot of tuning and testing there, because it’s not a smooth track."
There's no question that the SSC Tuatara has the power to lay down an exceptional lap time. Its twin-turbocharged 5.9-liter V8 spins to 8,800 rpm and develops no less than 1,750 on E85 ethanol fuel. The 282.9 mph record was the average speed of two runs in opposite directions on a relatively short 2.6-mile stretch of runway, and the driver of that Tuatara firmly believes it is capable of easily topping 300 mph. However, simply managing all that power to handle the Nordschleife's 170 corners could be the biggest challenge facing the Tuatara as it seeks Nürburgring glory.
When will this record attempt take place? According to the report, there isn't a specific timeframe in place but it appears Shelby is taking it very seriously. In other words, don't expect a Tuatara to just show up at the track one day with a driver brave enough to attack the 'Ring in a 1,750-hp monster. Seeing what this car can do when unleashed in a straight line, we're certainly keen to see what happens at the Green Hell. We'll be watching this latest chapter in the Tuatara's story very closely.
With regards to being the fastest production car on the planet, SSC Tuatara has certainly set the record straight at the John Bohmer Proving Grounds – an average of 282.9 miles per hour (455.2 kilometers per hour) for two passes. That speed was faster than the Koenigsegg Agera RS's outgoing record in 2017 and definitely discounting Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+'s one-pass run at the Ehra-Lessien test facility in 2019.
Now, that's official, but there's one elephant in the room that needs to be addressed. SSC fell short in proving its initial, controversial claim in October 2020 of reaching speeds above 300 mph (483 km/h). As that Nevada run was showered with doubt, naysayers still weren't impressed with the Tuatara's capability despite its record-breaking run in Florida.
And Jarod Shelby, of course, knows what's up.
Speaking to Muscle Cars & Trucks, the SSC CEO said that they are now planning the next Tuatara top speed run, with the aim to remove any shadow of doubt on their beastly machine.
While the main limitation of the John Bohmer Proving Grounds run was its shorter 2.3-mile stretch (as compared to the 7-mile portion of the Nevada highway), Shelby said that the Tuatara is capable of achieving the 300+ mph goal in Florida, embracing it as a challenge.
"To me I think if we can be the first car that does 2 passes at over 300 mph, and we do it in 2.3 miles, I think it’s a statement," Shelby told MC&T.
The question now is when and where, plus who will be the one behind the wheel. Shelby didn't disclose any information in the interview, so we're in the shadows for now. Dr. Caplin, the driver behind the record-breaking run in January 2021, was confident that the Tuatara can do more than what it did then. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think that he'll be the one to man the cockpit again.
On Thursday, the Washington-based supercar maker announced the Tuatara Striker and Tuatara Aggressor. The new models evolve the hypercar with more downforce, more power, and more customizable options.
The Tuatara Striker is a high-downforce model with an aggressive body kit. A fixed rear wing with a vertical stabilizer augments the standard Tuatara's active rear wing and a massive new rear diffuser sits below. A new splitter with integrated dive planes sits up front while the sides have vaned side rockers. The new aero kit delivers about 1,100 lb of downforce at 160 mph, compared to the 362 lb produced on the standard Tuatara, according to SSC. The design puts 45.4% of the downforce on the front axle and 54.6% on the rear. SSC designer Jason Castriota said more than 1,000 hours were spent in CFD to design the Striker's aero package to create downforce with a minimum drag penalty.
The Tuatara Aggressor model uses the Striker's aero kit, as part of a package to make the supercar making a track-only weapon. SSC said customers will be given the freedom with the Aggressor to customize the supercar to "near limitless" levels in terms of performance, appearance, and options. A carbon dashboard is standard, and customers will have the option to customize their own racing seats, five-point racing harness, and carbon-fiber roll cage. Customers will also have the option to use Lexan windows and a stripped-down bare carbon-fiber interior without sound deadening for weight savings. Buyers will be involved in the build of their specific car, and the design of the exhaust system and the sound it makes will be tailored to their liking; SSC will even let customers make the car as loud as they want because it won't have decibel restrictions as a track car. Track slicks will also be optional.
Striker models are powered by the Tuatara's 5.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 with 1,350 hp and 984 lb-ft of torque on 91-octane pump gas and 1,750 hp and 1,322 lb-ft of torque on E85. A 7-speed automated CIMA gearbox sends powers to the rear wheels with gearing optimized for a top speed of 270 mph and better acceleration when exiting low-speed corners compared to the standard Tuatara.
Aggressor models come with 1,350 hp, but they can be optioned to produce of 2,200 hp and 1,604 lb-ft of torque on E85 thanks to a more aggressive camshaft, higher compression, and more boost.
SSC will build 100 total units of the Tuatara and Tuatara Striker along with 10 units of the track-only Tuatara Aggressor for a total of 110 Tuataras. That's 10 more units than originally planned, though the 10 Aggressor models won't be street-legal. Striker and Aggressor models add at least $199,000 (depending on options) to the Tuatara's $1.95 million price. All three models are said to be in production now in Richland, Washington, with at least one Aggressor and multiple Striker build slots already spoken for. SSC CEO Jared Shelby told Motor Authority build slots are still available for customer deliveries in 2022, but he wouldn't comment on how many of the 110 Tuataras are spoken for thus far.
SSC acknowledged Wednesday that its Tuatara supercar did not reach the speed claimed by the company in October when it allegedly obliterated the Koenigsegg Agera RS's then-record with a 316.11-mph run. While SSC didn't outright apologize or completely explain the error, nor did the company reveal the Tuatara's true top speed from last year's run, the small supercar builder's Instagram post is the first public admission that all was not as it seemed in the fall.
"We have seen your questions for months now and understand your frustrations. If it hasn’t been made clear up to this point, we would like to acknowledge officially that we did not reach the originally claimed speeds of 331 MPH or even 301 MPH in October of 2020," the post said. "We were truly heartbroken as a company to learn that we did not reach this feat, and we are in an ongoing effort to break the 300 MPH barrier transparently, officially, and undoubtedly."
"We also want to thank all of those who were supportive and understanding of our unexpected incident in April that has delayed our top speed efforts,"
Many cried foul after reviewing the video released by SSC which claimed to substantiate its top-speed run. The controversy prompted SSC to make a second (and ultimately unsuccessful) attempt. The third time turned out to be the charm, however the results were far less impressive, albeit still sufficient to knock off the Agera's previous record.
The "unexpected incident" referenced near the end of SSC's post occurred when their record-attempt car was seriously damaged in transit back in April. The company claims it will eventually set the record straight (so to speak), but when, where and whether that will happen are all still yet to be determined.
07-18-2011, 11:52 PM
2014 SSC Tuatara
Agera RS record
