The title of the world's fastest production car is a coveted title that numerous manufacturers have pursued over the years, and we might have a new king — one with a Kiwi connection.
Earlier this week, American brand SSC shut down a section of Nevada highway in order to test the top speed of the Tuatara hypercar, and according to a couple of reports, they managed to pull off a new record.
SSC made no secret of its plans to close down the strip of highway for the record attempt, issuing a statement to a local newspaper about it, but the company has remained tight-lipped as to whether they were successful or not.
When talking to Carscoops, they reportedly made "no secret of its plans to set a world top-speed record with the 1,750 hp Tuatara. We welcome speculation and buzz about whether we’ll be doing this soon, or have already done it. If/when the time is right, we’ll be in touch with news.”
It's worth noting that the Tuatara has succeeded the SSC Ultimate Aero, which held the production car speed record between 2007 and 2010, but was dethroned by the Veyron 16.4.
If you are interested in what makes this Tuatara so fast, it is powered by a twin-turbo 5.9-litre V8 engine that makes a whopping 1,305kW which is sent exclusively to the rear wheels.
And as for its Kiwi heritage, back in 2011 the company's CEO explained where the naming inspiration came from:
"The name Tuatara was inspired by a modern day New Zealand reptile that bears the same name. A direct descendent of the dinosaur, this reptile's name translated from the Maori language means 'peaks on the back,' which is quite fitting, given the winglets on the back of the new car."
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