Back in October of 2020, SSC North America made the headlines when it claimed the Tuatara had averaged 316.11 mph (508.73 km/h).
However, we all know the initial attempt was tarnished by controversy and the company later admitted those numbers were not entirely accurate.
They did say they would ask one of their customers to have another go and they have done just that!
At the beginning of the year, Larry Caplin drove his Tuatara to the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds at Space Florida’s Shuttle Landing Facility where he averaged 282.9 mph (455.2 km/h).
Fast forward to May 14, 2022, he came back to one-up his personal best and managed an impressive 295 mph (474.8 km/h).
To avoid controversy this time around, all the relevant data was captured by Racelogic, which had a technician present at the event. In addition, an independent analyst was also on location to ensure transparency. The automaker’s founder and CEO Jerod Shelby oversaw the whole thing and was left impressed with the Tuatara:
“This car is not even close to reaching its ceiling. All the data and imagery have given us a clear picture that the limiting factor wasn’t the car, but the fact we ran out of runway.”
SSC North America