North American SSC Tuatara hypercar has claimed the title of the world’s “Fastest Production Vehicle” with an average top speed of 316.11 mph.

It wasn’t long ago that Koenigsegg set the world record for the fastest production vehicle with their Agera RS and then Bugatti with the Bugatti Chiron, but now the American built SSC Tuatara hypercar by SSC North America has broken the current record for the world’s fastest production vehicle with a blistering average top speed of 316.11mph.

Driven by 29-year-old British professional racing driver Oliver Webb, the record-breaking drive took place on October 10 on a seven mile stretch of Route 160 outside of Las Vegas, using the first production SSC Tuatara owned by Philadelphian based Larry Caplin.

Originally planned to run in November 2019, the record-breaking attempt had to be rescheduled to March after running into problems with shutting down the highway. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the record-breaking attempt was delayed once again.

Pushing the SSC Tuatara to an average speed of 316.11 mph (508.73 km/h), Webb completed the two consecutive high-speed tests needed to set the world record for World’s Fastest Production Vehicle”.

The first run was completed in a time of 301.07 mph (484.53 km/h) in one direction before the second was completed in the opposite direction in an even faster time of 331.15 mph (532.93 km/h).

To set an official record, the two runs had to be completed within an hour, and officials were on-site to confirm the record (using Dewetron GPS to track speeds using an average of 15 satellites).

“It’s been ten years since we held this record with our first car, the Ultimate Aero, and the Tuatara is leagues ahead. Its performance reflects the dedication and focus with which we pursued this achievement,” said Jerod Shelby, CEO of SSC North America. “We came pretty close to meeting the theoretical numbers, which is astonishing to do in a real world setting on a public road. America’s new claim to victory in the ‘land-based space race’ is going to be tough to beat.”

“There was definitely more in there. And with better conditions, I know we could have gone faster,” said Oliver Webb, who piloted the record run. “As I approached 331 mph, the Tuatara climbed almost 20 mph within the last five seconds. It was still pulling well. As I told Jerod, the car wasn’t running out of steam yet. The crosswinds are all that prevented us from realizing the car’s limit.”
Founded by Jerod Shelby in 1998 in Richland, WA, SSC North America is the American hypercar company that also created the Ultimate Aero, a model that previously held the “Fastest Production Car” record from 2007 – 2010 with a speed of 256.14 mph and is the basis for the SSC Tuatara.

“We validate our engineering by building a car capable of going 330 mph,” shared Shelby on the day of the speed run. “We validate our passion by accomplishing this, despite years of setbacks and challenges. And we validate our values by making sure Oliver’s safety was the first and foremost important goal of the day.”

“We see ourselves as a piece of history that we hope inspires others to break their own boundaries,” says Shelby. “The only way we got to where we are today is by breaking our own. Accomplishing a feat of engineering that pushes the limits of a road-legal car by a margin this large is both exciting and inconceivable, even to me. We are entering a time where we are no longer faced by the limit of machines, but by the human factor.”

McLaren Elva Gulf Theme by MSO debuts at this years Goodwood SpeedWeek as a celebration of the brands partnership with Gulf Oil.

This year luxury supercar maker McLaren debuted the Elva Gulf Theme by MSO roadster for the first time at the Goodwood Speedweek, held at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in the UK.

Commissioned by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), McLaren’s in-house bespoke division, the iconic blue and orange livery represents a celebration of the renewed relationship between McLaren and the Gulf Oil brand.

The new partnership confirmed earlier this year renews a historic union between the two brands that originated in the 1960’s and saw the Gulf branding appear on McLaren’s Can-Am, Formula 1, and Indy cars from 1968 through to 1973 and later again on the McLaren F1 GTR’s run by customer team GTC at races like Le Mans.

Under the new partnership, McLaren Automotive customers will have the opportunity to commission Gulf-liveried cars directly from MSO (following on from a few special editions inspired by the famous facing livery including the McLaren Senna GTR LM paying homage to the #24 McLaren F1 GTR that finished fourth in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans).

“The McLaren Elva Gulf Theme by MSO is a striking celebration of both McLaren’s history in sports car racing and our new partnership with Gulf Oil,” explained Ansar Ali, McLaren Special Operations Managing Director. “McLaren Special Operations is committed to pushing the boundaries of the ‘art of the possible’ and projects like this showcase the increasingly extensive range of personalisation options we can offer customers – in this case, enhancing the authenticity of the livery by incorporating Gulf brand logos into the design.”

The Elva, which follows the McLaren P1TM, McLaren Senna, and Speedtail in McLaren’s Ultimate Series, links McLaren’s heritage to its present and future with a name and style that recalls the McLaren-Elva sports racers of the 1960s. These were among the first sports cars designed and raced by Bruce McLaren and the company he founded.

The Elva’s Deliveries are set to commence this year, with many of the specifications having already been completed by MSO. Only 149 vehicles of the Ultimate Series Elva roadster will be produced, making it one of the rarest McLaren’s built to date.

The 2021 Bentley Flying Spur now has the added option of Bentley’s powerful V8 engine as an alternative to the iconic W12.

From its introduction in 2005, the Bentley Flying Spur has held its own in Bentley’s lineup as a luxury four-door grand tourer, and was revealed by Bentley earlier this year as the new flagship model moving forward (taking over from the Mulsanne).

Now the Flying Spur’s latest release will give owners the option to choose the new V8 powertrain as an alternative to the iconic W12 engine.

After extensive global research, Bentley discovered a change in the way clients have been using their Flying Spurs in recent years, moving away from a chauffeur-driven experience to driving themselves and accompanying passengers.

“Based on our research, customer feedback, and trends of customer usage, the new Flying Spur V8 has been engineered to deliver driver-focused ability whilst offering passengers the refinement, comfort and technology expected from a grand limousine,” revealed Dr. Matthias Rabe, Member of the Board of Engineering.

“The Flying Spur range is purposeful yet elegant. It has classic Bentley design, best-in-class execution, authentic materials, and attention to detail. The new Flying Spur V8 also includes the latest driver assistance and infotainment systems for enhanced safety, security, and relaxation on every journey. “

Powered by Bentley’s 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing a peak power of 542bhp, the new Flying Spur V8 uses twin-scroll turbos to reach its maximum torque of 770Nm at just under 2000 rpm. It also maximizes fuel economy by shutting down four of its eight cylinders when operating under light-load conditions.

Coming in at 220lbs lighter than the W12 version, the Flying Spur V8 is designed to feel more agile and responsive on the road and includes Adaptive Air Suspension, Torque Vectoring by Brake, Drive Dynamics Control, and Electric Steering as standard features with Electronic All-Wheel Steering available as an optional extra.

The Flying Spur V8 comes standard in seven Bentley exterior paint colors with five interior hide options. However, customers can also choose from an additional sixty exterior paint colors should they decide to upgrade to the Mulliner options and a further ten extra hide options and two duo-tone interior configurations with the Color Specification package.

Orders for the new Bentley Flying Spur V8 are already being taken, with deliveries expected to take place later this year for Europe and the rest of the world to follow into 2021.