Dr. Larry Caplin, founder of CF Charities, is announced as the owner of the first 2020 SSC Tuatara hypercar with his car’s first official reveal in Philadelphia.
The first 2020 SSC Tuatara is a sight to behold. Credit: SSC
Each year The CF Charities Super Car Show tours the USA, hosting supercar displays at various events to raise raises funds towards education and home support initiatives for local high school and college students in need.
It was at this years Philadelphia Auto Show, that the first customer Tuatara was unveiled at the CF Charities supercar display with founder Larry Caplin, “a lifelong car guy from Philly”, revealed as its new owner.
Digital driver display and touch screen center console. Credit: SSC
One of only 100 to be built, the SSC Tuatara has been 10 years in design and is produced by SSC North America (formerly Shelby Supercars Inc.) at their Headquarters in Richland, Washington. Originally codenamed “Exceed”, the Tuatara hypercar had big shoes to fill given that its predecessor, the SSC Ultimate Aero, held the Guinness World Record for Fastest Production Car In The World from 2007 to 2010.
With this in mind, SSC North
America Founder and CEO Jerod Shelby set out to gather the right team of people
to bring the Tuatara to life, collaborating with automotive designer Jason
Castriota (previously designed for Ferrari and Maserati) on the aerodynamic
design with the dihedral doors and bringing in specialised talent from local
Washington aerospace design firms and suppliers to consult and work on the
carbon fiber body.
The first 2020 spec is a stealthy black with red accents. Credit: SSCThe SSC Tuatara has an active rear wing. Credit SSCThe V8 twin turbo engine puts out 1750 Hp when using E85 fuel. Credit: SSC
To power this hyper-machine,
SSC North America engineers worked with Tom Nelson of Nelson Racing Engines to
design a bespoke engine from the from the ground-up. The result is a SSC Twin
Turbo V8 with a reportedly groundbreaking intake system capable of producing
1,350 horsepower with 91 octane or 1,750 horsepower with E85.
Having been in development since 2009, SSC North America had early hopes of once again claiming the Fastest Production Car In The World by reaching a top speed of 300mph, however since Bugatti hit 304.77mph with a modified Chiron last year it remains to be seen if there is any extra left in the tank to take it the extra mile…. only faster.
While no price has currently been revealed for the remaining Tuatara’s, in 2013 it was said to be priced at $1.3 million USD.
Who wouldn’t want to show off? Credit: SSCThe Tuatara is true to its name with subtle reptilian features. Credit: SSC
Bentley has announced Audi’s former Head of Design Andreas Mindt will be joining the British based luxury automaker as the new Director of Design.
Andreas Mindt during his time at Audi. Credit: Audi
British based Bentley has announced Audi’s former Head of Exterior Design Andreas Mindt will be taking on the role of Bentley’s new Director of Design as of March 2021.
Succeeding Stefan Sielaff, who is departing to pursue other opportunities outside the Volkswagen Audi Group, Mindt will be moving from Audi, where he was responsible for the exterior design and launch of models like the E-Tron and Audi’s Q8 SUV during his six-year tenure, to Bentley where his priority will be to evolve the brand’s electric future.
Bentley Motors has already clearly outlined their Bentley100 mission to achieve full electrification of all their vehicles by 2030, which they will be hoping to accomplish with Mindt leading a team of approximately 50 design experts at Bentley’s UK headquarters in Crewe.
“Bentley is a jewel within the Volkswagen Group,” shared Andreas Mindt. “Designing a car, and a future, is always a process based on the performance of many, not one, and so I look forward to working with my colleagues to help define the next phase for Bentley, into an electrified future.”
Andreas Mindt will become Bentley’s new Director of Design as of March 2021. Credit: Bentley Motors
Before his time with Audi, Mindt spent over 15 years as a crucial part of the design department at the Volkswagen Group headquarters in Wolfsburg, where he worked on leading projects for several Group brands and even had an early experience with Bentley back in 1999 designing the exterior of the iconic Bentley Hunaudières showcar.
Luxury coachbuilder ARES Design Modena has revealed their latest project – a one-off restomod based on the Porsche 911 964 Turbo.
The one-off Porsche 911 964 Turbo by ARES restomod. Credit: ARES Design Modena
Coming off the back of a big year that saw ARES Design Modena release their first-ever wholly designed supercars (the S1 Project and S1 Project Spyder), ARES has started 2021 strong with the reveal of a new one-off restomod project based on the Porsche 911 964 Turbo.
A new modified ducktail spoiler and Fuchs-inspired wheels offer a retro feel. Credit: ARES Design Modena
Launched in 1991, the Porsche 964 Turbo took some time to fans over (thanks in part to the 930 that bore the Turbo badge before it) but eventually found a place in the hearts of enthusiasts largely thanks to the unmissable whale-tail spoiler.
Based on the 1991 Porsche 911 964 Turbo. Credit: ARES Design Modena
For this one-off design project, ARES Design Modena has refined the exterior of the 911 964 Turbo by modifying the ducktail spoiler and added new Fuchs-inspired alloy wheels (made famous by the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of the 1970s) for a retro feel. Meanwhile, under the hood, the Italian luxury coachbuilder has modified the 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine with a more powerful turbine and intercooler to produce an upgraded 425Hp.
Inside, the cabin has been refitted with new leather and tartan houndstooth upholstery (inspired by historic Porsche race cars) along with new gauges and a PCCM infotainment system specially designed for classic Porsches.
As a one-off project, no price has been released for the Porsche 911 964 by ARES, but interested Porsche owners are welcome to contact ARES Design Modena for their own custom restomod quote.
The first deliveries of the new US-only McLaren Sabre hypercar have begun with a papaya orange, blue and Malboro-themed model making an appearance.
MRJWW with McLaren Global Sales Manager Neil Underwood. Credit: MRJWW
The first deliveries of the new US-only McLaren Sabre hypercar have begun, with a few already having been captured on camera recently like this one revealed by MRJWW.
With a twin-turbo V8 engine producing 824bhp and 590lt ft and a top speed of 218mph, the twin-turbo V8 McLaren Sabre is the fastest and most powerful non-hybrid two-seater production car to date and has been homologated especially for US federal standards.
Developed under the code name “BC-03”, the new bespoke hypercar is a special 1 of 15 model that was created purely for a small group of West-Coast North American McLaren clients who desired a “show car made for the road” or as Neil Underwood Global Sales Manager of McLaren Special Operations describes the client’s request “ a car that has an enormous presence on the road but also wouldn’t look out of place on the concept lawn at Pebble Beach.”
Side view of the new McLaren Sabre. Credit: MRJWW
Collaborating directly with the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) team for just under two years, the owners took an active part in developing the McLaren Sabre and were even given the opportunity to drive the test mule to ensure the owners were able to fully customize every aspect of the vehicle to their liking, before final delivery.
Special cut wheel blades from a single piece of metal. Credit: MRJWW
With the McLaren Sabre explicitly designed for the US market, the designers at MSO did not have to adhere to the lengthy specifications for global registration and were afforded a few more freedoms in design. Many aspects of motorsport racing have also been incorporated into the McLaren Saber design, with features like the central dorsal fin and a prominent front splitter included and, for the first time on a McLaren, a large active rear diffuser.
The first deliveries to make an appearance have included a Malboro themed McLaren Sabre at the McLaren Beverly Hills showroom, supercar collectors @sparky18888/@VTM_theking_4 bright papaya orange Sabre and @thetriplefcollection’s carbon modica blue edition as seen below.