“SSC Tuatara” Sets New World Land Speed Record

The SSC Tuatara, a hypercar made in the USA, has marked a historic milestone in the automotive world by setting a new world record for the fastest car, reclaiming a spot in the record books. Achieving a top speed of 332 mph (532 km/h) and an average speed of 316 mph (508 km/h) in a two-way run on the same road, the team at SSC (Shelby Super Cars) set this remarkable record.

SSC Tuatara became only the second production car to exceed the 300 mph limit, breaking the previous record of 304.773 mph set by the Bugatti Chiron in 2019. This victory brings the title of the world’s fastest car back to SSC, which last held it in 2007 with the SSC Ultimate Aero TT.

Testing on Nevada’s Route 10 outside of Las Vegas, the car maintained an average speed of 301.07 mph with a maximum of 331.15 mph over a seven-mile stretch. This achievement also grants the Tuatara the production car top speed record on a public road. Oliver Webb, the driver for this record-breaking attempt, revealed that strong crosswinds made it challenging to reach the Tuatara’s full potential.

Powered by a 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 1,750 horsepower, the mid-engine Tuatara weighs just 2,750 pounds and features a carbon fiber body. SSC aims to produce around 100 units of the Tuatara, with an annual production capacity of about 20 cars.

Though SSC doesn’t have as lengthy a history as other automakers, the company has made an impressive name for itself since its founding in 1998. The SSC Tuatara takes its name from a reptile native to New Zealand, which has changed very little through evolution over long periods. The car’s design, inspired by a reptilian appearance, was created by Jason Castriota, a designer who previously worked with Italy’s famed Pininfarina.

To create the Tuatara’s high-performance engine, SSC collaborated with Tom Nelson of Nelson Racing Engines, based in Chatsworth, California. Additionally, Italian aerodynamics firm Podium Engineering, known for its work with Formula 1 teams, managed the car’s final production tasks.

The 2020s seem poised to be the era of hypercars, pushing the boundaries set by the supercars of the previous decade. Yet, questions remain: What is the maximum land speed achievable by cars on Earth? Will future vehicles surpass this record? Only time will reveal the answers as the quest to push humanity’s engineering limits continues.