2008 SSC Ultimate Aero

The Shelby Supercars (SSC) Ultimate Aero is officially the fastest production car on the road. That Guiness World Record has been obtained and verified. The Ultimate Aero American-made supercar also can claim the most stock horsepower by any roadgoing production car ever released.

How did Jerod Shelby's vision of the SSC Ultimate Aero supercar travel from pipe dream to reality at breathtaking speed? No relation to Carroll Shelby, Jerod Shelby took a passion for cars and success in tuning and various aspects of the ridiculous speed sports car world and built the Shelby Supercars Ultimate Aero from the ground up. The bodywork, suspension and the sweet twin-turbo V8 outputting nearly 1200 horsepower are all exclusive to the SSC Ultimate Aero, this is not a kit car by any means.

The Guinness World Records-verified top speed for the SSC Ultimate Aero is 256.18 mph, but the world record certification process requires two passes, one headed in each direction, over the same stretch of road. The car's fastest pass on this occasion reached a speed of 257.44 mph, and this is running on pump gas in completely stock trim. If you can afford the SSC Ultimate Aero, significantly cheaper than the Bugatti Veyron, you will have a car on your hands capable of 250 miles per hour without any modification.

Taking the SSC Ultimate Aero to such speeds, of course, requires two parts skill and one part insanity.




IT'S OFFICIAL: SSC'S ULTIMATE AERO SPEED RECORD IS VALIDATED BY GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

[Shelby Supercars Press Release]

Guinness World Records verified today that Shelby SuperCars' (SSC) Ultimate Aero is officially the "Fastest Production Car" in the world. This is the first time the production speed record title has been held by a United States auto manufacturer since the Ford GT40 claimed the record in 1967. Guinness' strict testing procedure required the car to drive down the course, turn around, and make a second pass in the opposite direction within one hour. The vehicle's official "top speed" was then calculated by averaging the top speeds of each pass in order to negate any favorable road or weather conditions. Driver Chuck Bigelow, 71, drove SSC's Ultimate Aero on a stretch of highway 221, clocking 414.31 kph (257.44 mph) on the first pass and 410.24 kph (254.91 mph) on the second pass to yield an official record speed of 412.28 kph (256.18 mph). From data presented by Dewetron's world-renowned data acquisition system, Guinness officials verified the official speed to be .52 kph (.32 mph) faster than SSC had originally noted. This breaks the current official record held by the Koenigsegg CCR at 388 kph by 24.28 kph (15.09 mph) and the Bugatti Veyron's unofficial speed of 408.47 kph by 5.84 kph (3.63 mph).

Engineering a production car capable of speeds in excess of 250 mph is truly a significant task. In order to fit the definition of a production car, the vehicle must use pump gas and conform to all DOT/EPA regulations, among which include emissions and safety. These restrictions not only make it difficult but very impressive for production cars to produce such high performance figures. Finding a testing site was another obstacle that SSC encountered, eventually forcing the company to prove their claim on a two-lane road in Washington State's farming country. It has been decades since testing has been conducted on public roads, where factors such as wind and uneven road surfaces add complexities unknown to dedicated test tracks. Although SSC claims the Ultimate Aero's true top speed potential was not reached due to the limited length of road available to accelerate (2.5 miles), they feel that there is no better way to show the true limits of a production car than by testing it on the public roads for which it is intended. Nevertheless, SSC is currently speaking with a media source that is trying to organize a super car event at a very well known testing track overseas.

Jerod Shelby made a statement "Since the Mclaren F1, the Koenigsegg CCR, and the Bugatti Veyron all had a luxury that SSC hasn't had yet, we look forward to the day we can test the Ultimate Aero's true top speed capability in a controlled environment with a near perfect surface, as our predecessors did. We feel that we have safely left 6-10 mph on the table for when that day comes." To put the Ultimate Aero's acceleration into perspective; if the Aero enters the straight at Ehra - Lessien at the same speed the Veyron did, it would have enough room to accelerate to 255 mph, brake to a stop and still have 1.7 miles left of straightaway.

With 1183 bhp and 1094 ft-lbs of torque, the Ultimate Aero produces more emissions-legal horsepower than any other production automobile in the world (another Guinness World Record for which SSC is currently applying). Despite being designed to run at redline for extended periods of time, the Ultimate Aero remains remarkably drivable. The proprietary twin-turbo V8 power plant retains excellent idle characteristics, and thanks to a drag coefficient of just .357, Langley Full Scale Wind Tunnel testing calculates the vehicle to be aerodynamically stable to speeds up to 273 mph. Featuring all the amenities found in a luxury sedan, the supple leather/suede interior is highlighted by custom Recaro seats, a 10 speaker premium system, DVD/navigation/backup camera, and a cab-controlled lift that raises the front an extra four inches to navigate road hazards. Shelby SuperCars would like to especially thank Michelin for providing technical support during testing; the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s provided remarkable performance most notability for withstanding many miles at speeds from 200 mph - 257 mph on public roads with little to no wear.

Additionally, this weekend October 14th from 12pm-2pm PST Jerod Shelby will be participating in Microsoft XBOX's Live event and will be racing the SSC Ultimate Aero against all worthy gamers!

For more information on SSC, the Ultimate Aero, and international inquiries visit www.shelbysupercars.com or contact Motorcars of Las Vegas, the exclusive US dealer for SSC (www.MotorCarsLV.com).

THREE CHANGES ANNOUNCED FOR ULTIMATE AERO IN 2008

[Shelby Supercars Press Release]

Shelby SuperCars introduces three changes to the Ultimate Aero for 2008. The 2008 Ultimate Aero will now utilize an engine block cast specifically for the Ultimate Aero. It will come standard with SSC designed custom HRE Monoblok wheels. Finally it will sport a state of the art Azentek computer infotainment system.

After many months of development, and additional months of durability and efficiency testing SSC's new all aluminum engine block has proved itself a complete success. The new block utilizes an improved oiling system to handle the sustained high G-force cornering that the Ultimate Aero is capable of placing on the drive train. It produces the same power but with less stress on components while achieving an all round more efficient short-block package than the modified C5R block which was previously used. This is a tremendous breakthrough for SSC as the results of these design modifications produce even higher levels of durability and lower engine oil temperatures. This is also another milestone for SSC since it usually takes smaller, limited production companies like SSC significantly longer amounts of time to be able to cast their own block.

HRE Wheels and SSC teamed up to design and produce a unique wheel to give the 2008 Ultimate Aero a fresh look while lowering the unsprung weight. The Monoblok Series by HRE Performance Wheels is a line of forged one-piece wheels crafted from 100 percent forged 6061-T6 aluminum. With its innovative, elegant styling and impeccable craftsmanship, a custom Monoblok Series wheel has been successfully used to support Shelby SuperCars' Ultimate Aero. The Monoblok Series features direct bolt-in OE TPMS and utilizes OE center caps and lug hardware. HRE integrates engineering, design and manufacturing at its headquarters in Vista, California.

The Azentek Atlas system features a very long list of performance computing and entertainment capabilities including voice recognition, CANbus integration, Bluetooth, Satellite Radio, HD Radio,

CDRW/DVD/MP3/WMA, GPS navigation, built-in WIFI, 3G/GPRS internet connectivity and much more! "We are extremely pleased that Shelby Super Cars has chosen Azentek and the new AtlasT 2DIN computer infotainment system to be the standard head unit for the Ultimate Aero", said Derek Prentice, Azentek's National Sales Manager; "The high performance technology of the Atlas in the Ultimate Aero is a natural fit for the world's most powerful and fastest production car." The Azentek Atlas unit will not only provide SSC with state-of-the-art mobile technology it will enable SSC to remotely connect, communicate, and upgrade Ultimate Aeros as necessary.

For additional updates visit Shelby SuperCars' new website, www.shelbysupercars.com.