American carmaker SSC has announced plans to break the Nürburgring production car lap record using its Tuatara hypercar.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife is one of the most challenging and difficult racing circuits globally, and there are several reasons for this. Due to its narrow nature and lack of run-off areas in most sections, going at high speeds on this circuit is extremely dangerous, while other factors such as numerous blind corners only add to the danger. Moreover, this track also puts the car on the test with its 170 corners and considerable elevation changes. Pushing a car to its limits is the ultimate test to the car’s suspension, engine, gearbox, and brakes.
Performance cars such as the SSC Tuatara would have their work cut out when attempting a lap record around the Nürburgring. The fact is, Nordschleife is better suited for all-around performance cars rather than straight-line sprinters, no matter how capable they are. But that does not seem to stop SSC from attempting a Nürburgring record in the Tuatara, a hypercar that just set a speed record by going 286.1 mph.
It took the carmaker three attempts to reach this speed; the first try was claimed to reach well over 300 mph, but the footage was found to be inconsistent, which resulted in CEO Jerod Shelby saying the brand will make a fresh attempt. Moreover, the second venture did not bear fruit as the car faced various mechanical issues.
It will be a Herculean feat if SSC manages to make a successful attempt at the Nordschleife. Mr. Shelby has said SSC is already in talks with a group specializing in such activities. The Tuatara has a turbocharged V8 engine capable of 1,750 horsepower when running on a special E85 fuel, more than enough power for the Nürburgring. However, going fast in a straight line is vastly different from setting a lap record on the Green Hell. It will be interesting to see if SSC could dethrone the AMG GT Black Series to claim the fastest production car lap record.
