Good Luck. Hope it works out.

 

The car (aero) looks like a kit car even in person and also looks like a concept car I would have drawn in 6th grade art class.

Also, a guy who I spoke with at SEMA- who worked for Modified L&E magazine- couldn't stress enough how much of an "abomination" the car was, and was shocked it graced their cover.

Have I driven it? No.
Does that mean I can't like it? Yes
How many of you have opinions on cars that you've never driven?

 

Ben, what's the deal with the panels that rise out of the trailing edge of the tail of the car? Are those for downforce or cooling?

 

Also, I notice you mentioned that the white SSC was the first Gen car. SSC made changes to the car in 2009. So wouldn't it be a 2nd gen car(SSC website states it's a 2009 car)? Have they made anymore changes sense 2009 to the car?

 

Air brakes. I've never felt something so cool...those of you with bigger brothers or anyone who's ever been picked on before, you know the feeling of someone grabbing your waistband from the back while you try to run away from them? That's what those air brakes feel like, like the hand of god himself is reaching down and grabbing the back end of the car. Incredibly stable form of high speed braking.

The white car does not have the front end changes that SSC made to car #13 and #14.

The orange car below is #13, you can see some slight differences in the front bumper. There are other subtle changes under the skin. The orange car is a "2nd gen" car. No other changes have been made since that.



Oh, and for those of you looking for another technical marvel to chalk up to SSC, how about a one piece carbon fiber wheel?

 

I'm not sure who's opinion is more valuable, people who refuse to give credit where credit is due or someone who worked for Modified L&E magazine, clearly the pinnacle of automotive journalism.

For the last time...no one is demanding anyone change their mind about the looks of the car. And, at this point, I'm going to take Zorro's way out...

You're right Tommy6030, it's a kit car. You win.

 

A truly most interesting thread and frankly some of which has been shared is why at times I simply shake my head and walk away; meaning do not comment.

So what the heck is a “Super Car” or for that matter an “Exotic Car” if even such a definition could be presented and agreed to by all then this thread would have been a slam dunk long ago However, both IMO are subjective and interpretive and yet this I know; to be a “Super Car” and or “Exotic” you do not have to be the quickest or the fastest and certainly not the best looking because the later falls smack dab in the eyes of the beholder.

I am a fricken car knut through and through and even though I have had the opportunity to own some the world’s finest gals; this certainly subjectively speaking I have also owned many a gal that others would have tossed to the curb and yet they made me grin from ear to ear.

So within this thread the only question that seems to have remained conclusively unanswered by a passionate car knut but rather has been answered by a endless number of bleacher critics is where does the SSC fall when compared to the Veyron, the LP 670-4 SV, Zonda, McLaren, Spiker, Enzo, MC-12, Grumpert Apollo, and the Model T Ford; at the very “top” of the list

Now take a deep breath and think about the following; everyone one of the gals that I made mention of are a “Super Car” and an “Exotic Car” (with the Model T being at the top of the food change for many reasons long ago) and yet today the term “Super Car” and or Exotic Car” is nearly a cliché with little or no real meaning; when I jump in my LP670-4 SV she is an exotic as is the case when I jump into my Hummer H1, and no different when I jump into my Mini GP, as none of these gals are seen by most on a regular basis as such the term “Exotic” applies in as much as for most they are an unusual sight to behold. Now are each of these gals IMO “Super Cars” no but rather a super car.

I find it funny because for most if money were no object they would not create their own dream car but rather stroke a check for the pleasure owning that which was created out of the dream of another. Now I too fall prey to this however I also am drawn to the uniqueness of this opportunity as I enjoy having the opportunity to experience a shared passion of another with passion being IMO the key word when any one endeavors to turn their dream into reality.

For the last 25 plus years I have never driven/exercised a gal prior to purchasing her and this is for a very good reason. IMO to test drive/exercise a gal makes it impossible not to compare that when you recently got out of to that which you get into. Having shared this I typically take delivery of a gal based on any number of items on my laundry list of considerations such as performance, looks, pedigree, uniqueness, etc and it is not necessary that all of these items are found within each gal because in the end they each stand or fall on their own merits with merits being a subjective a truly very personal thing. Very simply, do they make me smile regardless of that which another may say or think because frankly I am at a point in my life when I gave up lapel pins and letting the input from another dictate my walk in life; my lifelong drummer is truly mine with a beat that I follow and yet also one that most do not understand. When a new gal arrives she it is typically several weeks before I drive/exercise her with the initial phase being my process of getting to know her and then when we finally do go out it is a methodical process over the course of 1000 miles or so during which we very simply get to know each other; our courtship of sorts. Now there have been those gals that never got beyond the courtship in much the same way one feels after dating a gal for a few times and then there are those gals that fricken knock my socks off; the key word being “my”

So how do I feel specifically about the SSC ; first of all I have no ties to the company and have never been up close and personal to one and yet I do not feel that it is a “kit” car as many years ago I built kit cars created by FiberFab etc with most of them based on a donor chassis or at best a chassis designed to support the mock shell having little reference to the original design with these companies primary goal being to create a boulevard queen aka a lapel pin and the only passion that these gals exuded was that which I put into them as the original gal which was born out of passion was something less than a distant memory. I also do not feel that the SSC is a USA car anymore than Lamborghini is to Italy and Bugatti to France, etc because for all but the most naïve it is clearly recognized that we operate within a global economy and technical and physical support is acquired from all over. Now I do feel that the team that created the SSC did what only a few dreamers do and this is they made their dream a reality and in doing so have shared it with others that has resulted in a niche aka boutique market that IMO is a very good basis to define the SSC as an “Exotic Car”. Now add to this they created a gal that can be exercised at what I understand to be an extreme level this with a laundry list of creature comforts as such IMO they have also created what should be deemed a “Super Car”. Is she a gal for everyone; no and yet I suspect that if the team that creates them were asked they would quickly states that this was never their goal.

Then take these comments a shared a bit further and for the sake of clarification; it remains my understanding that the present SSC is powered by a company specific power plant albeit based on an earlier GM design nonetheless the fact that they deemed it worthy to take such a mechanical and financial step/risk is IMO significant because by comparison the McLaren opted to use an BMW engine in the original gal and as I recall their newest offering uses a Mercedes, the MC-12 is an Enzo based gal with a unique shell, and this migration of bits and pieces from one gal to another as well as from one marquee to another has been the norm from the onset of gals being created.

Lastly; is the SSC a competitor of the Veryon, or for this matter are any of the gals that I made mention of; IMO no and IMO this is a great thing because at the end of the day I fricken like the Veyron very much and yet have no interest in having it copied by another. The Veyron as I understand did/does cost VW nearly 8m per copy and even though there was a budget drafted early on it became moot and exceeded many times as in the end the only thing that mattered was that the gal was successful; not successfully marketed but rather successful based on the corporate solicitations made early on. For those of you that do not recall the Veyron as originally present to market failed in a very large way to live up to that which was solicited as such through the insight as shared by many a proverbial clean piece of paper came out and a significant portion of the Veyron project was changed before that which is evidenced today came to be. IMO if it had not been because of the corporate solicitations made early on and the passion throughout the Veyron team supported by the deepest of pockets backing the project it would have failed and failed miserably.


So if you were to pull up to my place in your “Coastal-Can-Hardly” with a twinkle in your eye would I be as supportive of you and your dream in the same way if you pulled up driving an SSC or Veyron; absolutely because it would be your dream being shared and not necessarily mine.

I wish for the SSC team nothing but the best as they contiue their quest to have their dream realized.

Takes care

Shadowman

 

Will you be acquiring one in the near future btw?

 

Takumi

First of all thank you for taking the time to read my rather long post.

Now to your question; this is best answered by sharing with you that my list of gals that I have yet to personally experience is getting shorter and shorter.

Takes care

Shadowman

 

Your sarcasm used in calling the Modified L&E the "pinnacle of automotive journalism" makes me laugh considering the magazine was basically a newstand form of this website and 6Speedonline. Sure they didn't have a ton of history and are no more, but the articles/cars they covered appealed specifically to this audience.


I'm not gonna argue anymore-everyone has different tastes and that's what makes thne world go round. Their cars just do nothing for me.