SSC
Tuatara (incl. Striker)

Why it matters

The Tuatara is the successor to the SSC Ultimate Aero, a carbon-fibre mid-engined hypercar with a bespoke twin-turbo V8 built with Nelson Racing Engines. SSC North America built it at its Richland, Washington base and limited it to 100 cars. A 2020 Nevada run was claimed as a production-car speed record, but analysts questioned the figures.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• SSC Tuatara (incl. Striker) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: SSCNA · CC BY-SA 4.0
• SSC Tuatara (incl. Striker) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC0 1.0
• SSC Tuatara (incl. Striker) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The project, code-named "Exceed", began in 2009 when Jerod Shelby looked for a successor to the Ultimate Aero, which held the Guinness record for the fastest production car from 2007 to 2010. The body and aerodynamics were designed with Jason Castriota. SSC revealed the car at Pebble Beach in August 2018 and showed the first customer car at the Philadelphia Auto Show on 7 February 2020.

On 10 October 2020 SSC claimed a 316.11 mph two-way average and a 331.15 mph best run on a closed Nevada road with driver Oliver Webb. Car and Driver noted that Guinness had not yet certified it, and other analysts questioned the data.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The Tuatara has a carbon-fibre monocoque and skin with a stated drag coefficient of 0.279, hydraulically actuated dihedral doors, a mid-mounted 5.9-litre twin-turbo flat-plane-crank V8 and a seven-speed automated manual gearbox. Quoted dimensions are 105.2 in wheelbase, 182.4 in length and 81.3 in width, with a dry weight of 2,750 lb.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   SSC reveals the Tuatara at Pebble Beach Level A SSC North America · 2018-08-26

   • limited to a 100 unit production run
   • twin-turbo 5.9 liter V8 engine is a flat-plane crank configuration
   • V8 engine
   • twin-turbo 5.9 liter V8

   Accessed 2026-11-13
2. 2
   SSC North America – Tuatara Striker and Aggressor Level A

   • 100 total production cap for Tuatara and Tuatara Striker combined

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   2020 SSC Tuatara debut Level A SSC North America · 2020-09-23

   • bespoke engine in collaboration with Tom Nelson of Nelson Racing Engines
   • robust carbon fiber monocoque

   Accessed 2026-11-13
4. 4
   First 2020 SSC Tuatara goes public: 1,750 HP, 300 MPH, $1.6 million Level C Automobile · 2020-02-18

   • 1,750 horsepower and 1,280 lb-ft of torque
   • seven-speed automated manual transmission
   • wheelbase of 105.2 inches
   • 182.4 inches long
   • 81.3 inches wide
   • dry weight of only 2,750 pounds

   Accessed 2026-11-13
5. 5
   1750-HP SSC Tuatara sets record for fastest production car Level C Car and Driver · 2020-11-28

   • quickest run, at 331.15 mph

   Accessed 2026-11-13
6. 6
   Unexplained details and video inconsistencies bring SSC production car speed record into question Level C WhichCar · 2020-10-27

   • inconsistencies between the claimed top speed, published data and video

   Accessed 2026-11-13