The goal of every hypercar is to be the fastest , and for the SSC automobile company, producing record-breaking cars is a force of habit at this stage. This went on to inspire the SSC tuatara.
Like its predecessor, the SSC Ultimate Aero, it held the world car speed record according to the Guinness Book of World Records from 2007 until the Bugatti Veyron Supersport took that spot; the Tuatara is one of the fastest cars of the moment.
Let's take a closer look at this stunning hypercar and its incredible engine.
The SSC Tuatara Car
The Tuatara is the second hypercar made by the SSC company. Every hypercar produced company has been impressive and they've beaten plenty of world records in the process.
The Tuatara was designed by the legendary car designer Jason Castriota, responsible for the designs of The Maserati Granturismo and The Bertone Mantide. Production of this vehicle started in 2020 after the concept was revealed in 2011, and its production design was revealed in 2018 to the general public.
The hypercar takes its inspiration from the aerospace industry, mainly influenced by fighter jets and their aerodynamics. The Tuatara comes in an effortless design with the regular Butterfly style, two coupe car doors, and various vibrant colors; the production limit is around 100, and the starting price for this car starts at $1.6 million. The new Tuatara is named after a New Zealand reptile known for having the fastest molecular evolution of any living animal.
The interior of the SSC Tuatara contains luxurious leather and Alcantara cushioning. The functions of the car are controlled by a touch screen located in the center console. It uses a camera system instead of the regular side mirrors. The Tuatara also has an interior that can reportedly seat a 6 foot 5-inch tall person with a helmet.
It has a carbon-fiber body with aluminum crumple zones, and it weighs around 3,000 lbs. The car's modes include Sport, Track, and Lift.
Jarod Shelby, founder of the SSC company, said, when talking about this ride, "it is immensely rewarding for me to build a car like this, it had always been my dream as a child to build my hypercars from scratch, it was assembled in Richland Washington."
The Best Feature Of The SSC Tuatara Is Its Engine
The SSC Tuatara was supposed to be powered by a 6.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 but was later reduced to 5.9-liters to allow the engine to have a higher redline of 8,800 RPM, and it also boasts of an output of 1,350 HP (1,007KW; 1,369PS) and a 1,750 HP(1,305KW;1774 PS) on E85 ethanol fuel. Despite the twin-turbo engines in this ride, a unique turbo engine had also been developed to avoid the uncomfortable lag that comes with turbo powertrains.
The company formed a partnership with Tom Nelson of Nelson Racing engines, who was incredibly detailed with regards to the design of the engine. With an average speed of 316.11 MPH, the Tuatara boasts of being the fastest car globally, as alleged by the manufacturing company.
This vehicle also boasts an incredible acceleration, as it can achieved 0-60 MPH in 2.5 seconds. The impressive Tuatara is also street legal, and it's a rear-wheel drive.
Another standout feature of the Tuatara is the beautiful and powerful sound it offers. The sounds of this hypercar will catch attention of peoople and cameras alike, while giving driver an exhilarating experience.
According to Shelby, "Every sound of the car was carefully paid attention to, from the sound of the engine to the sound of the door latching and even to the sound of the robotically controlled shift". All of this only adds to the experience.
Is The SSC Tuatara Good Value For Money?
Anyone wealthy enough to own a Tuatara car will need to make an order before a four month wait till they receive the car. As stated earlier, the starting price of this car is $1.6 million. Still, you could also get additional flair to your vehicle, and prices for these alternations can bring your bill to as high as $2.1 million such as for a different color, more impressive interior, and so on.
Also, According to Mr. Shelby on the daily drivability of the car, " we spent a lot of time on the drivability of the vehicle, for a car that runs on 1,750 HP, it can be hard to conceive that such a car would have smooth drivability, but we spent time bringing the car to a place where anybody can drive the car".
The Tuatara is one of the fastestand impressive cars of the moment, despite the controversies that plagued it initially and even after different hypercars have gone on to take the title of the fastest hypercars. We can never deny that the Tuatara gave us a car with an impressive design, production, and most importantly engine.