To reach 300 mph. That’s the target that Washington State–based SSC North America has for its new SSC Tuatara hypercar. To hit that mark, the carbon-fiber–bodied Tuatara—named after a spiny lizard found in New Zealand—carries a 5.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 packing a massive 1,726 hp.

Production has already kicked off with the goal to build 100 examples, each priced at $1.6 million. SSC isn’t new to the high-speed business. In 2007, its 1,287 hp Ultimate Aero clocked 256.14 mph. The record stood for three years before Bugatti’s Veyron Super Sports came along. But on January 17, 2021, the SSC Tuatara took the record back with two runs that averaged 282.9 mph, and the results were verified by Racelogic.  H.W.