SSC Admits Tuatara’s World Speed Record Was Fake
Unveiled at the beginning of 2020, the phenomenal Tuatara from Shelby Supercar (SSC) made a ton of headlines in the fall when it claimed to have set a new world speed record for production cars and become the first to officially exceed 500 km/h.
The American hypercar named after a lizard supposedly reached 532.93 km/h in its first attempt and 484.53 km/h in another run, resulting in an average speed of 508.73 km/h.
- Also: SSC Tuatara Tops Chiron as the World’s Fastest Car
- Also: SSC Tuatara Takes Flight with 1,750 Horsepower
However, many people online were quick to say the video of the feat was fake and questioned the system used to record those speeds. So far, the company has always refuted such allegations, but now it’s finally coming clean.
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So, not only did the Tuatara fail to reach 532 km/h, but it never even achieved 484 km/h, which also means it did not top 300 mph.
SSC doesn’t explain what went wrong and how the numbers got all screwed up, but it plans to take another shot at breaking the 300 mph barrier “transparently, officially, and undoubtedly." We definitely haven’t heard the last of it.
In case you forgot, the Tuatara features a twin-turbocharged 5.9-litre V8 engine that produces 1,750 horsepower and 1,341 pound-feet of torque with E85 fuel. Power is controlled by a seven-speed robotized transmission with paddle shifters.
