SSC Ultimate Aero outstrips Bugatti and Koenigsegg

Shelby SuperCars’ Ultimate Aero is the world’s fastest car and proved its mettle at the two-lane stretch of public highway in Washington State. Complying with Guinness World Records’ strict policies, the car had to drive down the highway, turn around, and make a second pass in the opposite direction within one hour. The Ultimate Aero posted 257.41 mph on the first pass and 254.88 mph on the second for an average of 256.18 mph. Official data were collected via a GPS tracking system from Austrian data acquisition company Dewetron. At that speed the Ultimate Aero broke the official record held by the Koenigsegg CCR (242 mph) and the unofficial record (253 mph) held by Volkswagen’s $1.6 million Bugatti Veyron. The Ultimate Aero is aerodynamically stable at speeds up to 273 mph. “If there was additional straight pavement on which to accelerate, the top speed would have been considerably higher, so if anyone challenges our record there is tons left on the table,” says Chuck Bigelow, the pilot of the Ultimate Aero on its record-breaking run. If you compare then, the Bugatti and Ultimate Aero are quite similar when you view the key performance and hardware statistics. They both boast expensive, lightweight materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber; a mid-mounted engine aided by the use of turbochargers (two for SSC and four for Bugatti); 1000-plus horsepower; 0 to 60 mph times under three seconds; and a top speed above 250 mph.