SSC North America is an American automobile manufacturer founded in 1998 by owner Jerod Shelby. The company is based in Richland, in the Tri-Cities, Washington and specializes in the production of sports cars.
Company
In 2015, SSC completed production of their first model the SSC Ultimate Aero. They are currently in the preliminary design phase of their next generation vehicle the SSC Tuatara which will feature a custom-built twin-turboV8 engine capable of producing 1,750 horsepower. The SSC Ultimate Aero was equipped with a twin turbocharged pushrod engined V8 which produces. On September 13, 2007, the "Ultimate Aero" gained the official Guinness World Record for fastest production car. The Ultimate Aero has a top speed of. On June 26, 2010 the title was again lost to the upgraded Bugatti Veyron Super Sport that held the official Guinness Certified World speed record for production cars with a top speed of
History
1998 - Company founded by current CEO Jerod Shelby 2004 - First Ultimate Aero prototype completed in at company headquarters in West Richland, WA 2006 - Ultimate Aero sets record on Road & Track magazine's slalom course, breaking previous record held by the Ferrari Enzo September 13, 2007 - SSC Ultimate Aero sets record for fastest production vehicle as verified by Guinness World Records, reaching a top speed 256.18 MPH averaged over two runs in opposite directions. July 10, 2008 - SSC announced it would open its Dubai showroom in February 2009. 2008 - SSC announced plans to unveil the Ultimate Aero EV. SSC expects to roll out its first prototype in February 2009. The car was advertised in the original press release as rechargeable in 10 minutes from a 240 V outlet, which has been criticized as impossible in some articles. The press release has since changed. August 23, 2010 - A USA Today article details the rivalry between Shelby and Bugatti for the title of World's fastest Car and CEO Jerod Shelby announces a next generation version of the SSC Ultimate Aero is in the works July 17, 2011 - SSC announces their next generation sports car has been named Tuatara. It uses a proprietary 6.9 liter V8 engine and is said to produce a rated output of 1350 hp and a maximum output of 1700 hp. 2012 - Shelby SuperCars changes their name to SSC North America as a result of a settlement with Carroll Shelby Licensing and Carroll Shelby International. August 2012 - SSC announces a special edition of the SSC Ultimate Aero called XT. With the new SSC Tuatara on its way, SSC is retiring the SSC Ultimate Aero ending its production with a limited special edition. To celebrate its run SSC is launching the final special edition named SSC Ultimate Aero XT. The car will be built in a limited run of just five examples and will utilize some key assemblies that will feature in the SSC Tuatara, for instance, SSC's proprietary developed 6.9 liter all-aluminum twin-turbo V8 engine unit and several other features to go along with the new engine unit such as enhanced cooling, transmission upgrades as well as a seven-speed paddle-shifted gearbox. The engine is officially rated at 1,300 horsepower and 1,004 pound-feet of torque. 2013 - A Prototype SSC Tuatara is unveiled at the Dubai International Motor Show and titled the "Crown Jewel" of the event 2015 - Last Ultimate Aero XT is delivered and production of the model is complete 2018 - SSC North America announces release of 2019 SSC Tuatara at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. 2019 - Tuatara production underway with first deliveries anticipated for Q3 2019.
Models
SSC Ultimate Aero
The first prototype SSC Ultimate Aero was completed in 2004. The two original prototypes were equipped with a supercharged 377.6 cu inChevrolet Corvette C5R V8 engine. The supercharged engines originally produced 782 horsepower but were eventually modified to produce up to 908 horsepower with theoretical top speeds of up to 242 mph. Following the original two prototypes, SSC replaced the supercharged engine with a new twin-turbo V8 that eventually produced 1,287 horsepower. The twin-turbo setup can be found in the majority of the SSC Ultimate Aeros produced. On September 13, 2007 the Ultimate Aero became the world's fastest production car as certified by Guinness World Records with a top speed of 256.18 mph averaged over two runs in opposite directions.
SSC Ultimate Aero XT
In 2013, SSC North America announced they were going to produce a limited number of SSC Ultimate Aero XTs. This vehicle was an upgraded Ultimate Aero and included many features from the Tuatara. These features include a 1,300 horsepower version of the Tuatara twin-turbocharged V8, a 7-speed Tuatara paddle shifter transmission, and upgraded cooling, fuel, and braking systems.
SSC Tuatara
The SSC Tuatara is currently in production at the SSC North America assembly facility in Richland, Washington. The vehicle is the result of a design collaboration between Jason Castriota and SSC North America and was titled the "Crown Jewel" of the 2011 Dubai International Motor Show. It made its debut at the 2020 Philadelphia Auto Show. Production is limited to 100 examples.
Facilities
SSC North America is based in Richland, Washington, where its assembly facility and corporate offices are located.
