SSC Aero

The SSC Ultimate Aero is an American-built mid-engine supercar by Shelby SuperCars. Its higher-performance limited production version, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT, is the fastest production car in the world, with a recorded speed of 259.12 mph (417.01 km/h).[1] This speed was achieved during tests on September 13, 2007 in West Richland, Washington, United States and verified by Guinness World Records on October 9, 2007.[2]

The Aero and the Shelby SuperCars company are the brainchildren of Jerod Shelby (no relation to car designer Carroll Shelby), who started out building exotic "replicars" including a Fiero-based Ferrari F355 replica and a Lamborghini Diablo replica based on a spaceframe which later was used in the Ultimate Aero prototype. Jerod later moved from building replicas to designing the first true Supercar and after seven years it finally began to take shape. Although the basic Aero model is no longer produced, the Ultimate Aero is still in production with an MSRP of around $654,400.[3]

SSC Ultimate Aero SC/8T prototype #001 was built using a Lamborghini Diablo Replicar chassis with twin turbocharged engine sourced from the Corvette C5R mated to a G-64 6-speed manual transmission (also seen in the Dodge Viper). It weighs 1,270 kilograms (2,800 lb). Prototype #001 was sold in 2008 Barett-Jackson Palm Beach auction with winning bid price of $189,200.[4]

Styling of the Aero includes the use of butterfly doors similar to those found on the Mercedes/McLaren SLR, Saleen S7, Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, and the Ferrari Enzo. Carbon fiber and titanium are used throughout the car, helping to limit the weight to 1,293 kilograms (2,850 lb) for the standard Aero. Rumors persist that the Ultimate Aero TT is nothing more than a stripped down racing version of the base Aero (rumors that the car has no air conditioning for example); however, such claims have been proven false.[5][6]