Remember the reports coming in last week about the U.S.-made SSC Tuatara hypercar setting a new world record in straight-line acceleration? It is confirmed now: the Koenigsegg Agera RS has been dethroned.
The Swedish road rocket made 446.97 km/h (277.7 mph) back in 2017. Piloted by Andy Wallace last fall, the Bugatti Chiron hit 490.484 km/h (304.8 mph), but that record has been debated ever since. First, the new Chiron was not exactly a production vehicle, because it received some aftermarket modifications from Dallara, including a 100hp (75kW) power upgrade and around 25 cm (10 inches) of added body length. Second, the Chiron only ever made one run, whereas the protocol specifies that an average of two runs is required for the new record to be recognized as valid.
The SSC Tuatara surpassed 500 km/h in both directions, maxing out at 484.53 km/h (301.1 mph) the first time around and hitting 532.93 km/h (331.1 mph) the other time. The average speed – 508.73 km/h, or 316.1 miles per hour – was officially registered as the new world record. Oliver Webb, who piloted the vehicle, said it kept accelerating past that mark and would have gone faster if it weren’t for the sideways wind.
SSC North America (formerly known as Shelby SuperCars) co-designed the record-breaking 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with Nelson Racing Engines. The mill can output 1,369 PS (1,350 hp / 1,007 kW) on regular gasoline and ascends to 1,774 PS (1,750 hp / 1,305 kW) when using the E85 mixture. A seven-speed multi-clutch automated transmission is used to deliver the power to all wheels. The car’s all-carbon body results in a curb weight of mere 1,247 kg (2,750 lbs) and a drag ratio of just 0.279. Theoretic modelling predicted a top speed close to 300 miles per hour (482.8 km/h), but could not provide specific numbers beyond that point.
It is worth mentioning that Bugatti decided to drop out of the race for the fastest acceleration after premiering its Chiron Pro Sport model, only leaving the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut and the Hennessey Venom F5 as the Tuatara’s possible contenders.