The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport just snagged the title of “World’s Fastest Production Car” away from the American-built SSC Ultimate Aero. Now the folks at Shelby SuperCars are hinting at a new, faster Aero to challenge the German behemoth.
In a statement released after the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport set a new production car land speed record of 268 MPH, the makers of the now second-fastest [SSC Ultimate Aero](http://jalopnik.com/tag/sscultimateaero/) first applaud the company:
We would sincerely like to congratulate Bugatti… When the Ultimate Aero broke the record in 2007, we knew it was just a matter of time until it was broken by someone else.
And then they make mention of where they’re going with their newest vehicle:
[W]e’ve been working on a new project to debut before the end of the summer. Not much can be said at this time except that we’ll be upping the ante on all fronts. Having famed American designer Jason Castriota as our lead design enables SSC to reflect its engineer and performance in its aesthetics. It’s impossible for us to be more thrilled about having him on board and we’re anxious to show the world what we have up our sleeve.
The current SSC Utlimate Aero TT is a pure high-performance supercar. Powered by a mid-engined, twin-turbo 6.2-liter V8 producing a time-warping 1,183 hp it’s less a fashion accessory and more a strategic weapon and up until this week it held the fastest production car time at 256 mph. Not just a straight-line rocket, the car can also change directions, beating the Ferrari Enzo around Road & Track’s slalom course.
In order to top the Veyron, any vehicle they produce is going to have to add power, drop weight, and get slippery. No details yet on the first two points, but the appearance of Jason Castriota clears up the last one. The hip designer responsible for penning both the Bertone Mantide and Pininfarina P4/5’s going to attempt to wrangle a few tenths off the car’s coefficient of drag while giving it a more unique treatment.
Can America again snatch victory from the Germans? We’ll find out soon.
Send an email to Matt Hardigree, the author of this post, at matt@jalopnik.com.
This could get interesting.
Good old “bargain” American muscle, VS very expensive and over engineered work of mechanical art. :eek
Sure, the Ultimate Aero may look better to most people, but I’m sure it drives like a 2wd overpriced kit car, where as the Veyron is the worlds most comfortable/stable/safe street car at very high speeds…
Back to my first statement, it does not matter if the Ultimate Aero tops the Veyron by a few MPH, the Veyron is an engineering marvel, where as the Ultimate Aero is a one-hit wonder. The Veyron is gonna smoke the Ultimate Aero on the street regardless.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s an engineering marvel.
Think of this:
The Veyron SS (Yes I just said that) uses 8.0L of displacement with quad-turbocharging to get 1200mph and 268mph. In 2010.
The McLaren F1 used 6.0L of displacement with no turbocharging to get 627hp and 240mph. In what, 1994?
So the Veyron has 2.0L more, four turbos more, 573hp more, 16 years worth of technology, and only 28mph more. I don’t think that’s as much a marvel as you make it out to be.
1)McLaren was not stock (no rev limiter)
2)Go talk to someone that has driven the McLaren over 200, and the Veyron over 200. Ask which one left the experience with white underwear.
Not really. And for the record, I’d take an F1 over the Veyron, but totally respect the Veyrons abilities!
(we saw what happened when one of the worlds fastest GTR’s tried to race a stock Veyron…:tongue)
I doubt it. IIRC, the one in that video had somewhere in the 600-800 range for power.
You seem so bitter about when I said that X cars interior is better than the Corvette’s. Some people in the world, myself included, prefer quality over quantity.
