Almost a year after showcasing the 2019 Tuatara at
Pebble Beach, SSC has commenced production of the behemoth in Richland,
Washington. The first unit of the hypercar is almost complete and has hit the
track to make sure that everything functions as it should. The vehicle will be
delivered to the customer in the third quarter of the year and will be followed
by other examples.
The sculpted carbon fiber body provides the Tuatara
with a drag coefficient of 0.279. SSC said that it’s “the lowest of any
production hypercar to date”. Beneath the skin lies a carbon fiber monocoque
and the whole assembly is powered by a 5.9-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine that
produces 1,750 horsepower. The only thing needed to achieve that output is E85
in the tank, as on 91 octane gasoline, it’s less powerful by some 400 horses –
which still puts it way ahead in the game compared to other high-end models.
Diverting the output to the ground is a 7-speed
transmission, integrated with an Automac AMT system, with hydraulic-driven
components. This setup provides it with lightning-fast gear changes. Moreover,
the automaker explained that the clutch and gear selection actuation are
electrically operated.
SSC continues to keep the performance numbers close
to its chest. Nevertheless, they did say that this hypercar has a very good
chance of hitting the 483 km/h mark. It will face some fierce
competition on the way, since that achievement is on Koenigsegg’s and
Hennessey’s agendas too. Bugatti however have confirmed that a top speed run is
not a priority for them.
