SSC North America has used the Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance to unveil the 2019 Tuatara. The production Tuatara has a
sleek carbon fiber body that allows the model to have a drag coefficient of
0.279. The company says this is significantly lower than competitors such as
the Bugatti Chiron (0.36), Koenigsegg Agera (0.33) and Hennessey Venom F5
(0.33).
Overall, the car measures 4429 mm long, 1991 mm wide and 1092 mm)tall with a wheelbase
that spans 2672 mm. The extensive use of carbon fiber also
allows the model to have dry weight of 1247 kg.
SSC North America hasn’t released detailed
specifications, but the company confirmed the Tuatara will be powered by a
twin-turbo 5.9-liter V8 engine which features an 8800 rpm redline and an 8.8:1
compression ratio. The company went on to say the engine will produce 1350 hp when running on 91 octane fuel. The engine can also run on
E85 and this will allow the mid-mounted behemoth to produce an astounding 1750
hp.
The engine will be connected to a seven-speed
“computerized” manual transmission which features a “robotic shift system.” The
company declined to elaborate, but has previously said the engine and
transmission will allow the Tuatara to have a “top speed that is projected to
easily surpass the current world record.” SSC is presumably talking about the
Koenigsegg Agera RS which topped out at 457.94 km/h and averaged a
two-way top speed of record of 447.19 km/h.
There’s no word on production numbers or pricing,
but additional information will likely be announced closer to the car’s launch.
