Shelby SSC Tuatara Revealed as New Name of Veyron Rival [Video]

Shelby has just unveiled the name of its upcoming supercar, the SSC Tuatara, which is expected to reclaim the position as the fastest production car in the world.

The American automaker’s previous model, the Ultimate Aero TT, came equipped with a twin turbocharged V8 which produced 1,287-hp and beat the Bugatti Veyron. The Aero TT achieved a top speed of 414 km/h (257 mph). However the speed record was reclaimed by the Bugatti Veyrom Super Sport.

The Tuatara name was chosen because of inspiration drawn from the lizard that lives in New Zealand. The name means “peaks on the back”, which is symbolic to the winglets on the back of the new car. The reptile also possesses the fastest evolving DNA on the planet, which inspired Jerod Shelby. Shelby said, “Most manufacturers essentially use the same basic model and body shape for up to 10 years, while only making small refinements to it each year. After only three years in production with the Ultimate Aero, SSC’s Tuatara is about to monumentally evolve in the areas of sophistication, design, aerodynamics and shear all‐around performance. We felt that the fastest evolving DNA was a perfect definition of SSC’s latest project”.

Details on the Tuatara are still top secret but what is known is that the car will be powered by a 7.0-liter DOHC V8 twin-turbo cranking out around 1,350-hp. The car will weigh approximately 1,200 kg (2,654 lbs) and will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds. The Tuatara is also expected to have a top speed of 442 km/h (275 mph).

Check out the video of the Tuatara after the jump!

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