SSC (Shelby SuperCars) Tuatara History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Named after the New Zealand reptile, the Tuatara was announced on July 17, 2011 as the Ultimate Aero's successor, with exterior design led by former Pininfarina designer Jason Castriota. A revised production car was unveiled at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the first customer car was delivered in January 2020.
It uses a bespoke 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with a flat-plane crank built by Nelson Racing Engines, rated at about 1,350 hp on 91-octane fuel and up to roughly 1,750 hp on E85, driving the rear wheels through a 7-speed automated manual. The butterfly-doored carbon-fiber coupe is planned in a 100-car run.
In October 2020 SSC publicized a two-way average of 316 mph (with a one-way claim of 331 mph) as a new production-car record, but the claim was widely disputed and SSC later conceded the runs had not exceeded 300 mph. The company returned to record the car independently, with a verified two-way average of 282.9 mph in January 2021 and a 295-mph pass in 2022.
Body styles
- Coupe
Notable special editions & performance variants
Tuatara Striker
A more aggressively aerodynamic version aimed at higher downforce (around 1,100 lb) for road and track use.
Tuatara Aggressor
A track-focused variant said to allow up to a 2,200-hp (methanol) tune; announced as a very limited run.
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