Posted: 11:16 a.m. EDT October 20, 2020 | Updated: 5:02 p.m. EDT October 20, 2020
American car brand SSC was confirmed as setting a new world top speed record for a production vehicle when its Tuatara hypercar recorded 331 mph outside of Las Vegas earlier this month, reversing the Bugatti Chiron’s highly controversial previous claim
The measured two-run average speed saw a record 31,611 mph, which beats Bugatti’s best precedent of 30,477 mph, which was in question only being timed in one direction last year
The Tuatara’s two efforts were timed at 30,107 mph and 33,115 mph on the morning of Saturday, October 10 near Pahrump, Nevada, along a closed seven-mile stretch of State Route 160 – also setting new records for the fastest flying kilometer, the flying kilometer and the highest speed reached on a public road
The world’s fastest car: The Shelby SuperCar (SSC) Tuatara set a production vehicle record top speed of 316mph earlier this month in America, registering a whopping 331mph on one of the two races
To make his attempt as believable as possible, SSC – which stands for Shelby SuperCars, although founder Jerod Shelby has no connection with famous American car designer Carroll Shelby – the vehicle used is one of 100 models from production to be produced, and the races were carried out with street tires and non-racing fuel
At the wheel was Manchester-born racing driver Oliver Webb and the speeds he achieved in the hypercar were measured by 15 GPS satellites
Following record criteria, the Tuatara traveled in opposite directions, registering its speed in less than an hour, to break the world record for « fastest production vehicle »
The Tuatara record isn’t the first time SSC has opted for the Bugatti chinstrap, taking the same title from the iconic French manufacturer in 2007 when it was the Ulitmate Aero hypercar that set a new record of 25,741 mph, which dethroned the previous 2005 Bugatti Veyron record of 25,381 mph
SSC founder and CEO Jerod Shelby (left) – no connection to famous American car designer Carroll Shelby – posing with British racing driver Oliver Webb (right), who was behind the wheel of the race at large speed
The timed average speed over two runs saw a record 31,611 mph, which topples Bugatti’s former best of 30477 mph, which was in question having only been timed in one direction last year
The Tuatara’s two efforts were timed at 30,107 mph and 33,115 mph on the morning of Saturday, October 10 near Pahrump, Nevada, along a seven-mile stretch of State Route 160
‘It’s been ten years since we held this record with our first car, the Ultimate Aero, and the Tuatara is one step ahead Its performance reflects the dedication and focus with which we have pursued this achievement, ” said Jerod Shelby, CEO of SSC
‘We came close to hitting the theoretical numbers, which is amazing to do in a real environment on a public highway The new American claim to victory in the’ Earth space race ‘will be hard to beat’
The owner of the Tuatara used for the record-breaking race is entrepreneur and car enthusiast, Dr. Larry Caplin, who today pledged to donate $ 316,000 – to match the record-breaking speed of 316 mph – at community-based programs that support children, youth and military families around the world
« I am more than thrilled to own the world’s fastest car as it is another opportunity to highlight important issues that support local communities and serve military families, » a- he declared
‘Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined that I would own a historic vehicle, but I do recognize that I have a responsibility to use this opportunity to help those in need of such support. tangible ‘
The Tuatara now also holds the records for the fastest flying kilometer on a public road, the fastest flying kilometer on a public road and the highest speed reached on a public road
The SCC Tuatara has a twin-turbo charged 5.9-liter V8 engine, producing 1,750 horsepower on E85 ethanol fuel, or less than 1,350 horsepower at unleaded 91 octane
The hypercar has one of the fastest drivetrains to date, with the CIMA ‘robotic seven-speed gearbox capable of shifting gears in under 100 milliseconds using the paddles behind the steering wheel
The Tuatara was first announced in 2011, although the production-ready hypercar was only shown at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance No official pricing has yet been confirmed, although Shelby claimed in 2013 that it would ring at around $ 1.3million (£ 1million)
In order to tune such an apoplectic top speed, the Tuatara features a twin turbo charged 5.9-liter V8 engine, producing a whopping 1,750 hp on E85 ethanol fuel, or less than 1,350 hp on unleaded 91 octane
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Unlike rival hypercars, all power is sent only to the rear wheels, which puts enormous strain through the rubber mounted on the rear wheels
It also has one of the fastest transmissions ever installed in a road car, with the CIMA seven-speed robotic gearbox capable of shifting gears in under 100 milliseconds
It’s built on a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, and the lightweight material is also used for the car body. As a result, it tips the scales at just 1,247 kilograms – roughly the same volume as a Ford Fiesta supermini
Because no vehicle can be considered a hypercar unless it has crazy doors, those on the Tuatara are dihedral – although they are electrically operated, opening and closing by pressing. on a button
Despite an incredible speed of 331 mph on a closed public road, Webb claims the Tuatara could have gone even faster
‘There was definitely more in there And with better conditions I know we could have gone faster,’ said the British driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance series
‘As I approached 331mph the Tuatara climbed almost 20mph in the last five seconds It was still pulling well Like I told Jerod the car wasn’t running out of steam yet The winds askew are all that kept us from realizing the car limit ‘
To set the fastest speed record, test cars and their manufacturer must adhere to a number of strict rules
Because no vehicle can be considered a hypercar unless it has crazy doors, those in the Tuatara are dihedral – although they are motorized, opening and closing with the push of a button. button
Unlike rival hypercars, all power is sent only to the rear wheels, which puts enormous strain through the rubber mounted on the rear wheels
This is the second time that SSC has held the record for the fastest production car in the world En already won the title in 2007 with the Ultimate Aero, which also took the crown from Bugatti, with the Veyron setting the record in 2005
The vehicle used must be a production vehicle, therefore identical to the cars that customers will be able to purchase using conventional fuel and road tires
These runs should also be done within an hour of each other and the average top speeds for each should be used as the quoted ground speed value reached
This in order to take into account the slope of the wind and the road which could have favored the vehicle as it was traveling in one direction – a stipulation which Bugatti did not adhere to in 2019 when it tried to claim the title for the Chiron Supersport
To be recognized as the fastest production car, the vehicle used must be identical to the cars that customers will be able to purchase using conventional fuel and road tires
The American hypercar is built on a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, and the lightweight material is also used for the body of the car As a result, it tips the scales at just 1,247 kilograms – roughly the same volume as a Ford Fiesta supermini
The Tuatara was first announced in 2011, although the production-ready hypercar was only shown at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Only 100 will be made, each expected to cost around $ 1 million £
Iconic French marque Bugatti claimed the world’s top speed for a production car in August last year However, it was found to have broken record-setting rules ground speed
The recording speed must be an average of the highest speeds set in both directions of the same track Bugatti confirmed last year that it only rolls in one direction
Bugatti announced that it had crossed the 300 mph barrier in a road car on August 2, 2019 – the first time that a manufacturer has officially accomplished the feat in a homologated model that can legally be used on the street
His modified and tuned £ 42million Chiron Supersport 300 hypercar – with Briton Andy Wallace at the wheel – were timed at a speed of 30,477 mph on a test track in Germany, breaking the previous record set there has two years of almost 27 mph
But while the sprint has been verified by TÜV, the German technical inspection association, the legitimacy of this achievement has been questioned
This is because the Guinness Book of World Records refuses to recognize the figure of Bugatti – and all because of a major technicality
The awarding body stipulates that a ground speed figure is only eligible if it has been set for two races on the same course in opposite directions within an hour of one of the other
An average of the highest speeds reached in both directions is then considered as the final figure
Bugatti’s problem is that the 304’s speed of 77 mph measured at the Volkswagen Group test circuit at Ehra-Lessien in Germany was only tuned in one direction
The automaker said it could not use the VW test track in both directions for safety reasons, as decades of vehicles circulating around the test track in a clockwise direction ‘a watch had modified the tarmac
The automaker said it was a call for safety as decades of vehicles circling the test track clockwise altered the tarmac
He said that a run in the opposite direction would go against the grain of the surface, which could cause the tires to overheat
With very few areas of runoff – and sloping curves at the end of the straights – the hypercar brand claims to be limited by the limits of its own test facility
This meant that Koenigsegg was still officially recognized by Guinness as holding the road car speed record of 27,787 mph, installed in an Agera RS in 2017, ahead of the SSC attempt this month
The Guinness Book of World Records ranks the Koenigsegg Agera RS as the fastest road car on the planet, with a speed of 27,787 mph taking place in 2017 over two races in Nevada
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World news – UK – SSC dethrones Bugatti as Tuatara hypercar sets record 331 mph
