Photo: SSC North America
Uh-oh, this won’t buff out easily. The only completed example of the SSC Tuatara hypercar, the one that was used to set the world record for the fastest production car, has been damaged in what you might call a freak accident.
The Drive has learned that SSC Tuatara #001, owned by Larry Caplin, was damaged when the carrier flipped in high winds. The accident happened on April 17 in Brigham City, Utah, as the car was making its way to Florida, for another record attempt. Despite warnings from authorities that high-profile vehicles should not travel that night due to high winds, the carrier set off for its destination.
Jerod Shelby, owner of the SSC North America, confirms the accident but insists that damage is mostly cosmetic. The driver and passenger received minor injuries, and one of them had to be hospitalized. He says the carrier had the SSC Tuatara on the top deck, with just a motorcycle on the lower one. The truck itself was totaled; damage extended to the internal lift, which made taking out the Tuatara an even bigger challenge.
A video of the extraction is available below. The same media outlet says that cameras were on site because SSC North America is filming its path to breaking the 300 mph (482.8 kph) top speed, which it promised a while back, for a documentary.
This is the same SSC Tuatara at the center of the storm caused by Shelby’s claim that it was the fastest production car in the world last year. The first attempt, which saw it average 316.11 mph (508.72 kph) on a two-way run, was eventually dismissed as a new record, after it was determined that measurements were not accurate.
Another attempt saw it average 282.9 mph (455.3 kph), this time with owner Caplin at the wheel, but it still fell short of the 300 mph (482.8 kph) Shelby once said it would “easily” reach. For the record, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ did hit 304.773 mph (490.484 kph), but it was a one-way run.
Shelby is now saying that the SSC Tuatara is still on track to delivering that promised top speed, along with a new world record. It’s going to take a little bit longer, though.
“At first glance, we thought it was going to be pretty severe, but it ended up not too bad at all,” he says. “We're well into the repairs, and fortunately, it didn't touch chassis, drivetrain, suspension, any of that. This doesn't change our goals, it just changes our timing.”
SSC North America plans to sell 100 units of the 1,750 hp SSC Tuatara at $1.9+ million a pop.
Jerod Shelby, owner of the SSC North America, confirms the accident but insists that damage is mostly cosmetic. The driver and passenger received minor injuries, and one of them had to be hospitalized. He says the carrier had the SSC Tuatara on the top deck, with just a motorcycle on the lower one. The truck itself was totaled; damage extended to the internal lift, which made taking out the Tuatara an even bigger challenge.
A video of the extraction is available below. The same media outlet says that cameras were on site because SSC North America is filming its path to breaking the 300 mph (482.8 kph) top speed, which it promised a while back, for a documentary.
This is the same SSC Tuatara at the center of the storm caused by Shelby’s claim that it was the fastest production car in the world last year. The first attempt, which saw it average 316.11 mph (508.72 kph) on a two-way run, was eventually dismissed as a new record, after it was determined that measurements were not accurate.
Another attempt saw it average 282.9 mph (455.3 kph), this time with owner Caplin at the wheel, but it still fell short of the 300 mph (482.8 kph) Shelby once said it would “easily” reach. For the record, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ did hit 304.773 mph (490.484 kph), but it was a one-way run.
Shelby is now saying that the SSC Tuatara is still on track to delivering that promised top speed, along with a new world record. It’s going to take a little bit longer, though.
“At first glance, we thought it was going to be pretty severe, but it ended up not too bad at all,” he says. “We're well into the repairs, and fortunately, it didn't touch chassis, drivetrain, suspension, any of that. This doesn't change our goals, it just changes our timing.”
SSC North America plans to sell 100 units of the 1,750 hp SSC Tuatara at $1.9+ million a pop.
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