It took SSC more than a decade to take the
Tuatara from concept to production, but the American-made hypercar is finally
here, with the first example of the limited 100-unit production run presented
at the 2020 Philadelphia Auto Show.
Designed by Jason Castriota, whose
previous work included the Ferrari 599, Maserati GranTurismo, Pininfarina
Rolls-Royce Hyperion and other notable projects, it boasts a 0.279 drag
coefficient, an aerospace carbon fiber skin and a monocoque chassis with hypercar
looks to match.
Made from carbon fiber, the cockpit offers
seating for two, separated by a tall center console, and a flat-bottom and -top
steering wheel. The human-machine interface (HMI) provides the driver with
crucial information and the portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system
lets them access the climate control, entertainment, tire pressure and other
functions. In spite of the low-slung profile, SSC says that the Tuatara can sit
occupants as tall as 6’5” (1.95 m) even with a racing helmet on.
The Sport and Track modes seamlessly
adjust the ground clearance of the hypercar and the geometry of the suspension,
while the Front Lift Mode lifts up the nose by an extra 40 mm so that
it can easily go over speed bumps.
Power comes from a flat-plane crank
5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with an advanced intake that you can read all about it
here. Provided that you fill the fuel tank with E85, you will have an
impressive 1,750 horsepower available at your disposal, whereas running on 91
octane fuel will unleash 1,350 hp. In Track mode, gear-shifting takes under 100
milliseconds and the company believes that it can break the 300 mph (483 km/h)
barrier, so it could eventually challenge the 304.77 mph (490.484 km/h) record
set by Bugatti last year.