Ok, so I suppose it's my new favourite car ever.

Agree with the Veyron being just a numbers car. I'm not a huge fan, and the various "limited editions" make me want to hurl and wish VAG never bought Bugatti ... but that's another story.

I understand it's hard to take when you work closely with people who clearly put a lot of effort into it ... but at the same time, I'm calling it as I see it. It's not what it is, it's what it's projected as. Should I be blamed for seeing an obscure car that has a top speed record for only highlight? That's the only time I ever hear of SSC!

I'm hoping the new design will be worthy, and the car will have more to show for than just a couple entries in the World Records. Add a decent communication firm, and you will be on to something.

 

I'm baffled by this. Are you saying they need more than holding the top speed record to prove their legitimacy to people? Are you understanding that it was verified by Guinness, done on a country road as opposed to a test track, and wasn't ever postponed by malfunctions? SSC called Guinness, Guinness flew out, they ran the car, done...over. Welcome to the top of the supercar ladder. Do you have any idea what it takes to build a car capable of those speeds? People complain that their Honda rattles at 65 on the freeway yet this car hits 265, slaloms faster than an Enzo, is DOT and EPA approved, and still manages to get 20mpg with a 600 mile range.

You're a hard man to impress Zorro.

Should SSC add 8 more radiators, a million dollars to their asking price, and 6 different limited editions in order to gain more acceptance?

First off, they don't want to go after Bugatti. They are not actively comparing themselves to Bugatti, everyone else is. Fact is, they're two completely different cars. However, SSC are the first ones to agree that they haven't had PR as one of their priorities. That is now changing as they open a new chapter with Jason. Again, they've only been around for a few years...all in due time.

 

I'm baffled by this as well. All it takes is to hold a top speed record to be a "legitimate" supercar?



I'm not even sure where ... what ... why ... how. This doesn't make sense at all.

 

Don't the looks, power, engineering, slalom stats and acceleration figures take care of making it a legitimate supercar?

My brain hurts.

 

My main concern about this car is not its fame or it can hold top speed title, but its reliability. Is it safe to be driven at high speed can it be driven daily with no problems or malfunctioning? If so they did a good job.

 

^^Finally, a legitimate question^^

The answer is yes, it was driven daily through all conditions. High speed, low speed...as I said in one of my first posts in this thread...it was bulletproof.

 

This is a direct copy/paste of an email written to EVO magazine who requested a statement from Jerrod Shelby after the Bugatti's recent top speed record breaking run. I have permission from SSC to post this here. Maybe you guys will enjoy the insight?

------------------
Ollie,
Junus told me you were looking for a statement regarding Bugatti breaking the world record. I hope the following is sufficient. I am leaving town this morning, so if you have any questions or need more details please feel free to contact Junus. Thanks and regards.

We would sincerely like to congratulate Bugatti. Mentioned in the same sentence as a company responsible for some of the most significant automobiles in history is humbling. When the Ultimate Aero broke the record in 2007, we knew it was just a matter of time until it was broken by someone else. We’re proud to have held the record for almost 3 years. I think it goes without saying that it’s a monumental effort for any company to be able to engineer a car able to attain record breaking speeds and Bugatti did a phenomenal job once again.

I think it’s great how two fundamentally different cars are number one and two fastest production cars. Design philosophies between the Veyron and Ultimate Aero couldn’t be more polar, which in my opinion creates an exciting environment. It epitomizes the old adage, “there is more than one way to skin a cat”. The Veyron is a technological marvel, and the Ultimate Aero is an elemental supercar. Growing up racing cars, it was my dream to build the ultimate driver’s car. Lucky enough to be able to follow my dream, I wanted to ensure SSC’s Ultimate Aero will always have its main emphasis on performance and functionality via a fundamental approach. We will introduce technology where it plays a necessary role in emphasis on being a driver’s car without subtracting from the visceral experience. Although anyone can drive the Ultimate Aero, it takes a skilled driver to extract the full potential and it’s a car that grows with the driver’s experience, but that’s the beauty of it, just like the beauty of the Veyron is that it’s a car than anyone can get into and drive at full tilt. Regardless of the design philosophy, the great part of the speed record is that it is a testament of the overall build quality. Everything from door gaps and windshield wipers, to substantial systems such as drivetrain and electrical must be precise, resilient, and cutting edge via their design philosophy. My reason behind breaking the record was to show the world that we produced a comprehensively successful car. I sincerely believe we proved SSC’s capabilities with the Ultimate Aero. You can’t argue with numbers.

As it’s commonly seen, limited production start ups come and go frequently. That being said, I also consider myself blessed to have my staff who enabled the Ultimate Aero to challenge the big companies and our customers who had the confidence and foresight in SSC.

The only unexpected occurrence we’ve faced is the negativity in the eyes of some individuals who can’t understand how a small shop is able to challenge large automotive institutions. It almost seems to be a modern day witch-hunt. Yes, there is monumental difficulty for a small operation to produce an automobile that is functional, let alone a true performer. However, it is obviously possible as seen by the Ultimate Aero. We started the same way Enzo Ferrari, Ettore Bugatti, or almost any other automotive manufacturer started and I struggle to understand why some people don’t make the connection. Each year we will continue to better our product and company with the constant pursuit to push all limits with the driver’s experience first in mind. My hope is that more and more people will focus on SSC’s achievements, future, and be excited with us for what’s to come. That being said, we’ve been working on a new project to debut before the end of the summer. Not much can be said at this time except that we’ll be upping the ante on all fronts. Having famed American designer Jason Castriota as our lead design enables SSC to reflect its engineer and performance in its aesthetics. It’s impossible for us to be more thrilled about having him on board and we’re anxious to show the world what we have up our sleeve.

--------------------------

 

There's a big difference between all these upstart companies that say they can build the fastest car in the world, or it should be the fastest car in the world according to the simulation software and a company like SSC that set out to build the fastest car, quietly toiled away in the workshop building it, and then actually set a new bar for top speed on a public road for the record books.

I'll give them credit for that. As a lot of others have said, it's a hell of a car, just not the looks and/or features that everyone is looking for.

While I applaud Jerrod and SSC for their vision and execution, it's not my style and I'd never consider owning one (not that I could ever afford one...) That being said, I'd absolutely jump for the chance to see one in person and drive it for myself.


Given the caliber of cars that SilverSurfer owns or has owned, for him to say the Ultimate Aero is an awesome car, I'll tend to believe him.

 

I appreciate the vote of confidence Al.

And just for clarification - "just not the looks and/or features that everyone is looking for" - what "features" are you referring to? Are you referring again to the aesthetic features of the car?

 

Any technical or design features we haven't already been seeing in sports cars for the last 15 years?

(ok that was mean, but I couldn't not say it)