SSC Tuatara’s second attempt at the world’s fastest car title

As we reported here two months ago, after the SSC Tuatara claimed the title of the world’s fastest car with a peak of 532.93 km/h and an average of 517.16 km/h across the two runs, it emerged that it had not, after all, reached those figures. An exhaustive review of the record video demonstrated this.

What followed was a sequence of episodes - some decidedly convoluted - involving statements from several parties, including SSC North America, which at times contradicted one another, as well as more detailed examinations of the record-setting footage.

The matter eventually led to a statement from Jerod Shelby, SSC North America’s founder and chief executive, confirming that the company would repeat the record attempt and remove, once and for all, every doubt surrounding the Tuatara.

And that is precisely what it did. On 12 and 13 December, SSC North America put the SSC Tuatara back on the road in an effort to break the 500 km/h barrier and take the world’s fastest car title from the Koenigsegg Agera RS.

SSC Tuatara: Take 2

There is no point delaying the answer: the SSC Tuatara did not achieve that target on its second attempt. A number of issues prevented it from completing the feat. Nevertheless, the results - and, above all, the way in which they were achieved - clearly showed that it has the potential to do so.

The full story is detailed in a video posted by Robert Mitchell on his eponymous channel. Mitchell was one of the three key figures in the “dismantling” of the SSC Tuatara’s original record attempt, alongside well-known YouTubers Shmee150 and Misha Charoudin. SSC North America invited all three to travel to the United States to witness the renewed attempt in person, but pandemic-related restrictions meant that only Mitchell, a US citizen, was able to attend.

GPS verification and preparation for the record attempt

Summarising Mitchell’s detailed account in the video, the same car from the first attempt was used: the first example produced from the 100 units announced. This time, however, it was driven by its future owner, who has some motor racing experience.

The SSC Tuatara had been heavily “equipped” with electronic systems to ensure that the recorded speed genuinely matched the speed achieved. Mitchell mentions five GPS systems, two supplied by Racelogic and monitored by the company’s own head - there could be no room for doubt. The setup was so extensive that the sheer number of cables became a problem, particularly those running into the engine bay. They stopped the bonnet from closing properly and caused it to open on several occasions.

Rain also arrived on 12 December, forcing every scheduled test to be moved to the following day. These included familiarisation runs for the new driver and owner, who had spent limited time with the car. For those runs, SSC technicians had reduced the boost pressure of the 5.9-litre twin-turbo V8, meaning it was not producing its claimed 1770 hp.

As a result, both the driver training sessions and the record attempt had to be squeezed into 13 December, creating further difficulties. Progressively accelerating a car to 300 mph (483 km/h) is not comparable to a few 0–100 km/h sprints: it places considerable strain on the entire vehicle, including the engine, which, as one would expect with this much power, produces substantial quantities of heat.

More than 400 km/h with two cylinders down and reduced turbo boost

It was precisely the accumulated heat in the engine bay that caused two spark plugs in the V8 to fail during the final record attempt of the day. In other words, the turbo boost was still lower than desired because it had not been restored, while the V8 ended the day running on only six cylinders.

This is where matters become interesting. Even in its “injured” state, the SSC Tuatara exceeded 400 km/h (404 km/h) after covering only half of the designated course. At that point, the driver realised that something was not right with the beast’s heart.

Despite all the controversy surrounding the first attempt, there can be no question that the SSC Tuatara possesses immense performance potential. Having seen it firsthand, Robert Mitchell has no doubt that the American hypercar can claim the world’s fastest car title, but…

… we will have to wait for a third attempt, which is already being planned.