Now Bugatti’s Veyron is clearly the pinnacle of IC powered automobiles. After driving it I was certain that it wouldn’t be bettered. At least not in this lifetime. But the Shelby Supercar Company in America begged to differ. They gave the Veyron a run for its money with their SSC Ultimate Aero. The 1287bhp pumped out by the Corvette derived .3 litre V8 in the Ultimate Aero trounced the Veyron’s 407kph with a best (averaged & )recorded speedof 411kmh!
That wasn’t the end of anything. Because Bugatti announced the Super Sport. To trounce Aero’s top speed claims the Veyron Super Sport came with 200 more hp and 250Nm of additional torque and practically – a new body for improved aero all of which resulted in the Ultimate Aero losing its World’s Fastest title pretty darn quick. Act 2 - Shelby (surprise, surprise) responded by exhibiting a plan for their next supercar that would trounce the Super Sport’s 415kph record.
And proof that SSC wasn’t kidding was delivered at the Pebble Beach Concours, one of the most (if not the most) prestigious shows in the world. The Tuatara (I haven’t got official word on how to pronounce it – hopefully soon) was on display there as a part of future concepts from different manufacturers.
As expected the Tuatara will be built extensively of carbon fibre including the body, chassis and sub-frames. It will use aluminium for its crash structures. Powering the title challenger will be a 1350bhp, 7-litre, twin-turbo V8. Top speed – a whopping 440kmh.
Just as a quick refresher – the Veyron Super Sport managed an average of 431kph at VW’s Ehra Lessien test track. In production form the SS has been limited to 415kph to be kind to its tyres. So, now that the rumours of a Grand Sport Super Sport were floating around (All 300 of the regular Veyrons are sold out – only the open top/convertible Grand Sports remain) let’s see if Bugatti makes them come true.
In the mean time I’m looking forward to the Tuatara showing us what it can do in the real world. Till then I’m going to contend myself by staring at its design. The Tuatara according to me is exactly what a car that’s blazingly fast should look like. It is a gazillion times prettier than the gawky Ultimate Aero and makes the Veyron look a bit, erm, porky. But, until the Tuatara impresses with more than just its smile, Veyron – you the man.
Images: Autocar.co.uk & Shelbysupercars.com
Dodgy name,Outlandish looks,will it be half as civilised as a veyron??..
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