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The car in the image above is the SSC Ultimate Aero TT, an aerodynamic sports car powered by a 6.3 litre twin turbo V8 with 1,183 horsepower on the tap at 6950 rpm – more than the Bugatti Veyron. Torque is a gut twisting 1302Nm at 6,150 rpm.

Let’s put that much torque into context in a real world situation here – test driver Rick Doria said he experienced wheelspin at speeds of 305km/h. What’s amazing is these figures are obtainable using RON92 fuel, which the engine based on a Chevrolet motor was designed to use.

SSC wants to beat the Bugatti Veyron’s current top speed record of 407km/h. The car’s aerodynamic body, which was wind tunnel engineered and tested to be stable at speeds of up to 439km/h, managed to hit 370km/h in it’s most recent test. The test location had only 2 miles of usable road, and at the 370km/h record, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT was only in 6th gear at 56% throttle.

A new test at a location with more suitable conditions is planned, so let’s see if the SSC team manages to achieve a new speed record.