Shelby Super Car's (SSC) Tuatara

[Schwartz]

I still love how they act all surprised and hurt that people only think their cars are designed for making top speed runs (after years of grandstanding about how the Ultimate Aero is so fast in top speed),

Well, because they don't make cars simply to break records. Lets not forget that SSC is a company, they need to make money to survive. The reason they made a run for the speed record was in order to get publicity, not because they want a speed record. There are tons of small supercar companies all around the world, and not an infinite amount of people to buy them. So, think about it. What is the best way to stand out from the rest of the pack? Get a speed record.

This is where a giant like Volkswagen differs from SSC. Volkswagen doesn't need to make money on their one and only hyper car, the Veyron. In fact, Volkswagen has lost money on the Veyron (after development costs, etc.) VW makes most of their money on small, economical cars. If anyone builds a car just to beat a speed record, it is more likely a big company than a small one.

By SSC's own admission the original Aero design was engineered off of the back of a Lamborghini replicar. How much has been done since those original prototypes to the actual production models that is their own work is unclear (as is how much was done to the original design compared to the base they started with), but that is also their fault for not emphasizing the actual engineering of the car rather than just how much power they are getting out of their Small Block Chevy and how fast it will go because of it.

I would like to put down the myth that the Ultimate Aero was a kit car. Its design is completely original. The chassis, body, etc. were designed and built by SSC.

Now, for what it's worth (I know that anecdotes are worth nothing to people on the internet), I have in fact, interviewed Jerod Shelby himself (in May of this year), as I live 20 minutes away from his house/factory/company headquarters. I asked him, directly, if it was based off a Diablo chassis. He flat out told me that it wasn't, and that the entire chassis/body was designed and built by SSC from scratch. Shelby did, however, say that some people may have this misconception because he had built a Diablo kit for a past project in the ninties. If you would like to disregard this statement, I wouldn't blame you, because I have no proof to back it up, only Ron Shelby's phone number, which is kind of against the AUP to share (not to mention rude).

Lastly, let me just say that I would like not like to escalate this to a fanboy war. However, if anyone would like to have an academic discussion, I'd be happy to participate.

 

[Earth]

Shelby finally has the funding to begin building the factory that will fabricate the Tuatara. Looks like we should see the car sometime in 2015

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/15/ssc-tuatara-factory-gets-276-mph-green-light-in-washington-state/

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Awesome! I've been wondering about this project. I have to say I think the styling is fantastic, and I hope going forward they introduce more plebeian models with the same flair. It looks very American and not derivative to me, which is nice I think.

 

[Earth]

October 30th, 2014

 

[sems4arsenal]

Vaporware suddenly condensing. /itsHappeningGif

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Exact same video as from 2012:



...except different music.

 

[Keef]

Exact same video as from 2012:

...except different music.

Negative Nancy over here.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

It will only happen if I, Eunos_Cosmo, stay negative about it.

 

[Earth]

Exact same video as from 2012:



...except different music.

Its not the exact same video, the new one has 'announcements coming soon' at the end

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Its not the exact same video, the new one has 'announcements coming soon' at the end

Nope, the video from 2012 also said "announcements coming soon"

 

[JMoney]

I'm willing to bet it's not happening. When it was first unveiled everyone thought a 270 mph car could break the record. Now? Nope.

 

[Robin]

Still total vaporware IMO, only building the factory now... so it will be another 6 years doing that then they will will finally say it's not happening. The design also looks dated now because supercars have gotten much more bonkers looking in the meantime.

 

[Exorcet]

This is a clean car. I don't think it has aged a day. It's not supposed to look insane, or at least it never did to me.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Exact same video as from 2012:



...except different music.

Takes a lot of work to put in a new soundtrack ya know...

 

[Earth]

Looks like funding is finally secure after years of delays

Production to start Q4 2017

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article117869483.html

 

[EngieDiesel]

That article is dated last November, and I can't seem to find any fresher news regarding how far along they are to being operational. Which I guess highlights just how much interest there really is in the Tuatara these days.

 

[RocZX]

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Was holding it wouldn't be happening with the silence for so long...guess it still is a go though

 

[McLaren]

I'm worried judging by the original design of this car, that it may have already aged a bit. It's technically on the cusp of 7 years old now.

 

[Doomotron]

They should have called it the Tortoise.

 

[VXR]

Evolution is coming, but the plural f words aren't.

 

[GTboyz]

Edit : okay that was a stupid mistake.

 

[EngieDiesel]

So I went looking for some news about SSC's proposed new headquarters... you know, the one that was supposed to be completed back in 2013, but never actually started beyond the city putting in new sidewalks around the property last year?

Well, it's still not started. The land it's supposed to sit on is now owned by the home builder who helped refinance the project though, presumably because his credit is more trustworthy to construction firms. So the evolution isn't going to be coming for a while yet, if that's any indicator.

 

[ripping_silk]

Not the first vehicle to be named after the New Zealand Lizard either.

 

[Joey D]

So I went looking for some news about SSC's proposed new headquarters... you know, the one that was supposed to be completed back in 2013, but never actually started beyond the city putting in new sidewalks around the property last year?

Well, it's still not started. The land it's supposed to sit on is now owned by the home builder who helped refinance the project though, presumably because his credit is more trustworthy to construction firms. So the evolution isn't going to be coming for a while yet, if that's any indicator.

Well that explains why when I searched for it on Google Maps, I just got a house...which I thought was weird.

 

[EngieDiesel]

Well that explains why when I searched for it on Google Maps, I just got a house...which I thought was weird.

You might have picked the wrong state accidentally, that address comes up more than once it seems. Here's the site, showing the parking lot and first vestiges of a foundation... which is as far as it's gotten in almost 5 years. That middle school they're building across the street will probably be finished before they even get going on the SSC building again.

Also, I can see why a home builder would be keen to get the land rights to that property given its location, homes near schools are particularly valuable. If the deal falls through, this guy has some prime real estate to put up a nice neighborhood on.

 

[TexRex]

Well that explains why when I searched for it on Google Maps, I just got a house...which I thought was weird.

Spoiler

Reminds me of Whitefish Energy.

 

[Robin]

Still total vaporware IMO, only building the factory now... so it will be another 6 years doing that then they will will finally say it's not happening. The design also looks dated now because supercars have gotten much more bonkers looking in the meantime.

What I said from 2014... Again.

They seem to just be stringing people along. From the new teaser shot it looks like they might have updated the design a bit which makes sense as the original design looks so old now.

 

[EngieDiesel]

They seem to just be stringing people along. From the new teaser shot it looks like they might have updated the design a bit which makes sense as the original design looks so old now.

Fish never bite if you don't cast your line out once in a while. They gotta remind everyone that they still exist if they hope to get any more of that investors' cash that's still floating around.

 

[TVR27]

It has balls.