The most substantial change is an SSC-designed, 1-piece billet aluminum engine block. The Tuatara hit a top speed of 331.15 mph in its last run, setting the bar even higher for the highest speed achieved on a public road. These collaborative efforts play an immensely important role in the projects at SSC and the help define the quality that our company offers.

With Guinness World Records present to witness and validate the event, the Ultimate Aero conducted two opposite direction passes and achieved an average top speed of 256.14 mph. Jerod was the lead Product Design Engineer, managing all aspects of the mechanical and ergonomics design, component fabrication and testing, as well as coordinating final assembly and regulatory compliance. The Hanford site near Tri-Cities was a key location in the Manhattan Project during World War II, the top secret operation that the United States conducted to produce the first atomic bomb. SSC North America is proud to partner with world class automotive firms that stand behind the intuitive and detailed work that is required to produce a unique and superior hypercar. Thank you! Your submission has been received! Rounding out the '09 Ultimate Aero's improvements is a revamped interior.

Additional changes include a slightly revised nose designed to keep the car more stable at the new, higher speeds. The speed during the first run and second was 257.41 mph and 254.86 mph, respectively. In preparation for the next generation of hypercars, SSC North America released plans for the limited special edition and final production run of the Ultimate Aero, called the XT, or Extreme Tuatara. From testing the Ultimate Aero in NASA's Langley wind tunnel, to witnessing the world record breaking pass in Eastern Washington, to developing the next generation hypercar, Jerod has many fond memories of the last two decades of SSC North America and looks forward to the many more to come.

Drivers began taking ownership of their very own Ultimate Aeros, realizing that there was much more to the car than just its top speed. WEST RICHLAND, WA (December 30, 2008) – After holding the "World's Fastest Production Car" for the past year, the Shelby SuperCars' Ultimate Aero is receiving several refinements for the 2009 model year. Led by owner Tom Nelson, the team has an acute passion for high performance applications and quality assembly. His passion for cars turned into a competitive sport as he traveled the country on the national go kart circuit. Their AMT system, used with the Tuatara gearbox system, provides unparalleled transmission control and data analysis. So, the top speed calculated was 256.14 mph. After breaking into the world automotive spotlight, the company was renamed SSC North America to identify as a separate entity from Carroll Shelby International, an unrelated automotive firm, and to distinguish itself as a supercar company based in North America, a unique stature in the supercar industry. The top speed is the average of the speeds during two runs. Finished in carbon fiber, the rear spoilers actuate up an additional 8" when the brake pedal is depressed. Years of testing and calibrating key components of the car have resulted in verified performance and aerodynamic specifications superior to any other hypercar on the market. A milestone for the limited-production automobile manufacturer, the new block improves structural integrity and oiling capabilities allowing SSC to boost the power output to 1287 horsepower while improving durability. On September 13, 2007, on a rural paved road in Eastern Washington State, the SSC Ultimate Aero became the fastest production car in the world, dethroning the Bugatti Veyron's 253.81 mph title. Good... Why don't we take a five minute break? Based in Southern California, Nelson Racing Engines is known around the world for fabricating some of the most powerful twin turbo engines available on the market. In 2006, the Ultimate Aero completes Road & Track magazine's testing on the slalom course, breaking the previous record held by Enzo Ferrari. An engineer by the name of Jerod Shelby, with a history and passion for cars and racing, founded a supercar company with one goal: design and manufacture an American supercar that would stand up against the European dominated industry of high performance production cars. Throughout his childhood and young adult life, Jerod was heavily involved in automotive racing and mechanics. Today, the Tri-Cities is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States, is home to more scientists and engineers per capita than anywhere in the country, and is one of Washington State's top tourist destinations. Armed with the more powerful new engine, the ‘09 Ultimate Aero will be able to reach world-record speeds of 270 MPH, raising the benchmark for supercars and pushing the limits of current production car technology. Automac Engineering, a Modena, Italy based firm, specializes in planning, construction, processing, and testing of hydraulic and mechanical equipment for the automotive industry worldwide.

He has since applied this concept of fine details in his venture in hypercars at SSC North America. A Washington native, Jerod Shelby was born and raised in the city of Richland, Washington. Oops! The legacy of these unprecedented vehicles is derived from the methodical process in which they are designed and manufactured, inspired by the excerpt "In Veritate Victoria" inscribed in the SSC crest. After the announcement of SSC North America's Tuatara hypercar, the company undertook the process of conducting market acceptance studies around the world.

Jerod and his team at Shelby SuperCars overcame these barriers and have since become the first great American supercar company. Inspired by fighter jet aerodynamics found in American aerospace designs, the distinctive body of the Tuatara exhibits a striking appearance while providing an unmatched coefficient of drag. And so, in September 13 2007, the SSC Ultimate Aero made its run for the record. Since 1998, SSC North America has been pushing the limits of high performance vehicles, setting new standards in the hypercar market. Carbon fiber accents run along the doorsills, surround the new gauge cluster, and continue onto a revised steering column, which includes an analog speedometer and tachometer with a sequential shift light integrated into the tachometer needle. Jason Castriota has long been acclaimed for creating emotive designs full of character and tension, and his unique ability to create futuristic, function driven forms that are timelessly beautiful. Owners, industry experts, and enthusiasts alike were in awe of the elite handling, ride quality, and performance that the Ultimate Aero had to offer. The 6.4-Liter twin-turbo V8 in the SSC has seen its power pumped up 15% to a gravity-reversing 1,287 HP. The vision had finally taken physical form and it was now time to prove the engineering and performance behind this one-of-a-kind American supercar.

Boasting over 300 days of sunshine per year, the Tri-Cities is the heart of Washington wine country, producing world renowned wines, as well as other agricultural produce such as wheat, potatoes, hops, and fruits. The complete AeroBrake ™ system can be disabled by the push of a button, for town driving or situations where braking and downforce assistance are not necessary. After he graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, he helped start Advanced Imaging Technologies, Inc., a medical device company based in Richland.

SSC North America is currently in the production phase of its latest hypercar, the Tuatara. Something went wrong while submitting the form.