- Production-ready SSC Tuatara was unveiled earlier this year

- The model also broke three more records during the run

US-based marquee Shelby SuperCars, also known as SSC, has made a new world record with the Tuatara hypercar. The company claimed the title of the world’s fastest production car as the Tuatara hit a top speed of 331mph or 532kmph on 10 October, 2020.

The record-breaking run, which took place near Las Vegas, saw professional racing driver Oliver Webb driving the 1,750bhp SSC Tuatara. The model recorded an average speed of 316mph (508kmph), following two consecutive test runs of 301mph (484.53kmph) and 331mph (532kmph).

The SSC Tuatara also broke three more records during the run, which include the fastest flying mile on a public road at 313mph (503kmph), fastest flying kilometer on a public road at 321mph (517kmph) and the highest speed achieved on a public road at 331mph (532kmph).

Unveiled earlier this year in February, the production-ready SSC Tuatara is powered by a 5.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 1,750bhp with high octane fuel and 1,350bhp with 91 octane fuel. Tipping the scales at 1,247kgs (dry), courtesy of a carbon-fibre chassis and exterior panels, the model has a drag co-efficient of 0.279.

Speaking on the occasion, Jerod Shelby, CEO of SSC, said, “It’s been ten years since we held this record with our first car, the Ultimate Aero, and the Tuatara is leagues ahead. Its performance reflects the dedication and focus with which we pursued this achievement. We came pretty close to meeting the theoretical numbers, which is astonishing to do in a real-world setting on a public road. America’s new claim to victory in the ‘land-based space race’ is going to be tough to beat.”