SSC Fires 1,750 hp Missile

Boutique supercar maker SSC has just revealed a 1,750 hp monster of a carbon fibre supercar. A car the company projects will become the fastest production car on earth.

SSC, run by Jerod Shelby (no relation to that Shelby) is a Washington state-based builder of supercars. SSC North America has previously built the Ultimate Aero that managed a then-record land speed mark of 412.3 km/h.

The Tuatara is named for a reptile from New Zealand. The not quite a lizard Tuatara is known for being one of the fastest evolving animals. The car starts with a 5.9L V8 made by Nelson Racing Engines. It's a twin-turbo monster that can rev to a stratospheric 8,800 rpm. On E85 gasoline, the car is capable of 1,750 hp. That's about 22 and a half Mitsubishi Mirages. Put 91 octane gas in it, the kind you can actually find at most stations and the horsepower level drops to a still-monstrous 1,350.

Helping feed all that power, the engine has two fuel injectors per cylinder. Putting the power to the ground is a seven-speed computerized manual. 

The mid-engine, rear-drive chassis is made from carbon fibre, as is the sleek-looking body. SSC says the car has a dry weight of just under 1,250 kg. That sleek-looking body works in the wind tunnel too. SSC says that it has a coefficient of drag of just 0.279. That's far lower (and better) than the Bugatti Chiron or Koenigsegg Agera, which certainly doesn't hurt its top speed efforts. Granted, Cd isn't the only measure of aerodynamics that counts, frontal area is important too, but you don't often see that number published.

SSC says that it has "full confidence in the Tuatara's goal of exceeding 300 mph (482.8 km/h)." We're looking forward to the attempt. The company is taking orders for the car now, and expects to limit the run to just 100 units.