Bugatti Chiron breaks 300 mph
Test driver Andy Wallace piloted a specially-prepared Bugatti Chiron to 304 mph, setting a new mark for street legal cars.
SSC North America has achieved new top speed mark for its Tuatara supercar.
The $2 million mid-engine coupe laid claim to the production car top speed record of 282.9 mph last year on the former Space Shuttle landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, and returned to the three-mile-long stretch of pavement this month to see if it could go even faster.
The car has received several upgrades to its 1,750 hp twin-turbocharged V8 powertrain and suspension to help increase its speed and make it more stable as it closes in on maximum velocity.
The car was scheduled to give the record another shot last May, but the trailer that was bringing it from SSC's headquarters in Washington state tipped over in high winds on a Utah highway and had to go back to the shop for repairs.
The attempt was made on the former Space Shuttle landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center. (SSC)
Larry Caplan is the customer who owns the car, and he was back behind the wheel after setting the record in January 2021.
Owner Larry Caplan was behind the wheel. (SSC)
Video from the run shows Caplan accelerating onto the runway from a narrow access road for extra length, then powering through the gears as the car goes from 0 mph to 295 mph in less than 50 seconds.
After slamming on the brakes, the car can be seen taking a big jolt as it transitions from the smooth 2.3-mile runway section to a rougher run-off area at 140 mph.
The Tuatara is powered by a 1,750 hp turbocharged V8. (SSC)
SSC is confident that the car could've broken 300 mph if it had a little more room, but driver error during the second run in the opposite direction required to make an official record claim meant it was unable to hit the speed this time around.
The Tuatara cost $2 million. (SSC)
The only production car to have broken the 300 mph barrier so far was a Bugatti Chiron driven on Volkswagen's test track in Germany, which has a 5.4-mile straight.
SSC currently has no plans for another 300 mph attempt.