Ferrari decided to treat everyone to an early holiday surprise this past weekend with the reveal of the Daytona SP3. This gorgeous car pays homage to the Prancing Horse’s Sports Prototype race cars from the mid-20th century. More specifically, this car recalls a joyous moment for the Italians when they rained on the Ford GT40’s parade at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. Yes, the brand specifically mentioned this in the car’s reveal.
Aside from the nostalgic jabs, the Daytona SP3 is a thoroughly modern car that harmoniously remixes the past and present. Mounted in the middle of the chassis is the Ferrari 812 Competizione‘s 6.5-liter V12 engine with even more power — 828 horsepower, to be clear. It makes this naturally aspirated V12 the most powerful engine Ferrari ever built. There’s also 514 pound-feet of torque available before the engine redlines at 9,500 rpm.
A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission fires off rapid shifts, Ferrari said, and numerous improvements went into the engine itself. Titanium connecting rods, a lighter crankshaft and diamond-like-carbon coating for the piston pins are just a few areas Ferrari homed in on to reduce the engine’s mass and help make more power.
There’s even some Formula 1 trickery going on with the engine’s valve openings to create a higher-performance valve profile overall. All the while, the company said this V12 reduces pollution particles by 30% compared to the similar unit found in the 812 Competizione. It’s not going to win any green awards, but that’s still mighty impressive.
Best angle for me, right here.
Ferrari
The car’s design absolutely harkens back to those closed-wheel race cars of yore, but it’s not one big retro machine. Instead, the fascias, both front and rear, retain modern Ferrari cues, but the shapes and packaging really do something special. The large haunches for the wheels look as if they’re ripped straight from the 1966 330 P3 race car, and I know there’s nothing 1980s about the design overall, but the horizontal lines at the rear give me giant Testarossa vibes.
After some real stinkers from Ferrari design, the Daytona SP3 really reignites the beauty from the folks sketching these cars to life again. The dihedral doors create what Ferrari called a “pinched waist” look to help highlight the car’s business at the back, and the side mirrors push ahead of the doors to further underscore the 1960s motifs. Hell, even the headlights do their best to recreate the pop-up look.
All the while, the car boasts wild aerodynamic advances to ensure the more powerful engine remains cool, and balances this with the lovely styling. Ferrari said this car boasts the highest level of passive aero ever for one of its road cars. That includes trick “floor chimneys” connected to louvres in the rear wings by vertical ducts. The Daytona SP3 cuts through the wind better and produces more downforce at the rear, thanks to this design.
Inside, the cockpit is sparse yet elegant, with seats molded directly into the chassis and a wraparound design. The cockpit also continues Ferrari’s “human-machine-interface” ethos of “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.” That’s fancy speak for ensuring a Ferrari is packed with modern technology, but easy to operate and never cumbersome. Thus, the steering wheel can operate 80% of the 16-inch curved screen display’s functions. That screen and associated gear look delightfully elegant, too. Designers purposefully split the cabin above the switchgear to include simple, sculpted shapes and all the business below a “functional dividing line.”
Like the rest of Ferrari’s Icona series, the few Daytona SP3 models it builds will be exclusively for the brand’s top collectors and customers. In other words, you won’t be able to buy one in really any respect unless you “know people.” The lucky few who do get one will surely be happy people, I reckon.
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As Ford does now and again, it is introducing a few special-edition models to the Mustang lineup. For 2022, those special-edition Mustangs include a revived GT California Special, as well as a first-ever Stealth Edition for the four-cylinder Mustang EcoBoost variant. In another first, the California Special is available with the Mustang’s GT Performance package, so you can have your California style and rip with it, too.
GT California Special, Now More Special
The California Special, adorned by the “GT/CS” lettering on its flanks, has graced the Mustang family on and off since the 1960s. Back then, the CS combined numerous unique styling touches from throughout the Mustang lineup—including Shelby-style taillights—a tradition that continues on this new 2022 Mustang GT/CS. There are GT Performance-pack-style enhancements, including an aggressive front bumper, along with a honeycomb grille, prominent side intake scoops (they’re fake but look cool) ahead of the rear wheels, and side stripes incorporating the iconic GT/CS lettering.
Coupes are available with a sporty rear wing (independent of the GT Performance pack), while convertible GT/CS models come standard with a wing-delete setup. Machined 19-inch wheels, a GT/CS badge in the grille, and red-and-black lettering for the rear decklid round out the California Special’s special add-ons. Buyers can choose between Atlas Blue, Carbonized Gray, Cyber Orange, Dark Matter, Grabber Blue Metallic, Iconic Silver, Rapid Red, Shadow Black, and Oxford White paint options.
Most, if not all, of the California Special’s signature cues have been tried before. Now for the real news: For the first time ever, this traditionally style-focused special-edition Mustang is available with some serious hardware. Already based on the 5.0-liter V-8-powered GT, the 2022 GT/CS can be upgraded with the regular Mustang GT’s Performance package, which brings heavy-duty front springs, a larger rear anti-roll bar, Brembo-sourced six-piston front brake calipers, a lower ride height, additional underbody bracing, exclusive stability control programming, a Torsen limited-slip differential, and staggered-width 19-inch Pirelli summer tires.
Stealth Edition, Recognizable Game Plan
Despite the new-for-2022 Mustang EcoBoost Stealth Edition’s name, there isn’t much stealth about it. This is a blackout package, plain and simple, and thus should be familiar to anyone with even a tangential familiarity with the myriad “Midnight,” “Night,” and “Black” editions trotted out by various automakers in recent years.
Available on the 310-hp EcoBoost Premium trim, the Stealth Edition treatment includes the expected black-painted wheels (18-inchers here), black badges, black-painted door mirrors, black interior trim, and a rear wing. It’s “stealthy,” provided you only ever drive it around at night, with your headlights off. Don’t do that, obviously. As for when you can see the Stealth Edition, it’ll be in one of four available paint colors: Atlas Blue, Carbonized Gray, Dark Matter, or Shadow Black.
Pricing for both models has yet to be set, and order books will open later this year. On the Mustang GT, the GT Performance package adds $6,500, an upcharge we figure will carry over unchanged to the GT/CS.
Have you heard the rumor claiming Ford plans to jam its 7.3L Godzilla V8 in the back of the Ford GT as a final sendoff? On the surface, sure, the idea sounds cool, but in practice, it’s a downright impossibility. Especially if you think about the program holistically–both as a business entity that needs to make money, and mechanically as a collection of pieces that need to fit together.
The basis for this rumor is a summer sighting of a Ford GT development mule near an EPA testing facility outside Detroit. The mule was spotted with elongated exhaust tips protruding well past the GT’s rear fascia. The rear valence and diffuser are also missing, offering a glimpse of the transaxle cradle and parts of the exhaust, including the catalytic converters. Onlookers and sources have claimed the Ford GT in question sounded like no other GT out there, lending fuel to the V8 rumor fire. We’ll touch on why that Ford GT in particular sounded different in a moment.
First thing’s first. The Ford GT was designed around the 3.5L EcoBoost V6. Ford will tell you that, Multimatic will tell you that, and it’s abundantly clear if you’ve seen as many of them with the skin off, as I have. The engine is bolted directly to the bottom of the tub, before the Z frame structure that surrounds the engine and supports the transmission and rear suspension is introduced. From a tub perspective, if a new engine was to be introduced the engine mounts would need redesigning, and the fuel tank bulkhead would need to be re-profiled, at the bare minimum.
Based on the Mk II hood scoop, Multimatic is up to something, but a V8 swap in the Ford GT ain’t it.
Sure, OHV engines benefit from being more compact than DOHC engines, but that benefit only applies to the height and width of the engine. Otherwise, a V8 is fundamentally longer than a V6, no matter where you put the camshaft.
If you don’t believe me just tally the bore diameters for one bank if you’re looking for a rough idea of the difference in length. The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 has a 92.5 mm bore diameter, equalling 277.5 mm when multiplied by three. The short-stroke 7.3L Godzilla V8 has 107.2 mm bore diameters, which when multiplied by four equals 428.8 mm.
The 151.3 mm difference only pertains to the diameters of the cylinders without accounting for cylinder walls or block thickness, but it illustrates the salient point. Even if Ford wanted to put a cast-iron truck motor in its flagship supercar, the 7.3L Godzilla V8 is too long.
An increase in engine length would contribute to several issues. The intake manifold would run into the K-frame brace which would require pushing the support further back, necessitating relocation of the oil tank. More significantly, there would likely be clearance issues with the pushrod suspension levers and DSSV dampers which live on either side of the oil tank. Below deck, the transaxle cradle would need to be redesigned or moved. Basically, we’re talking about significant changes to the rear structure of the GT and its accompanying bodywork.
The cost of engineering talent, validation, and tooling, among other things, is prohibitively expensive to be a realistic avenue for a low-volume program that will only exist for a further 12 months. That’s before we even talk about the weight balance dynamic issues that would manifest from jamming a 580-pound cast-iron boat anchor in the back.
Circling back to the V8 Ford GT rumors, the spy shots from July show the transaxle cradle in the exact same location, with the only discernible difference being the exhaust aft of the cats. While difficult to tell for certain, it looks quite similar to the titanium unit currently employed, with obvious differences to the center exit pipes.
The smoking gun is claimed to be the dry-sump reservoir’s oil cap that looks to be in a different location. But it’s not. The low angle of the spy shots simply makes the oil cap visible through the large air extraction gap that lay between the Lexan engine cover and the rest of the hatch that extends rearward to cover the internal storage cubby.
Instead of a V8 Ford GT, it’s more likely Ford and Multimatic are working to integrate Mk II GT parts to the road car, as the two already share a significant amount of content. Other mules have been spotted wearing the Mk II’s massive air intake in place of the road car’s engine cover.
If you’ve ever had the privilege to hear one of the Mk II GT’s idle, run the dyno, or scream down the straightaway you’ll know they sound absolutely nothing like the road-going version of the supercar. The sound is downright guttural with a splash of bass, it would be easy to confuse the sound for something else.
Believe me, I’ve had my brain rattled more than a few times by the sound of a Ford GT Mk II being put through multiple dyno runs, as engineers worked to dial in the final mapping parameters.
There have been other rumors circulating that the team is looking to push the road car towards the Mk II’s 700 hp figure as part of the GT’s farewell. The Ford GT has already gone through multiple powertrain evolutions since 2017 en route to its current 660 hp figure. The intercoolers were revised, the exhaust was changed ahead of 2019, and the intake plenums were optimized for the 2020 model year. All of those changes required re-homologation, including a visit to the EPA.
This is a car that won Le Mans, this is a car that was designed around the powertrain it currently employs. Do you really think Ford and Multimatic will invest valuable time and resources into making the car worse? I don’t.
American hypercar manufacturer SSC North America has obliterated the record for the world’s fastest production car.
SSC Tuatara smashes through 500km/h barrier
Its SSC Tuatara recording an average speed of 508.73km/h over two runs on State Route 160 in Nevada on 10 October, 2020.
The SSC Tuatara was driven by British Racing driver Oliver Webb on an 11km stretch of the highway, closed for the record attempt.
On his first run, Webb hit a top speed of 484.53km/h but it was his return run of 532.93km/h that secured the official world record. To claim the mantle of world’s fastest production car, two runs must be completed, one in each direction and within an hour-long time frame.
The SSC Tuatara’s two-run average speed of 508.73km/h shattered the previous record of 447km/h, held by the Koenigsegg Agera RS.
To add some cream on top, Webb’s run also saw the Tuatara grab a couple of other world records: Fastest Flying Mile on a Public Road (503.92km/h) and Fastest Flying Kilometre on a Public Road (517.16km/h).
Amazingly, Webb believed he could have gone even faster.
“There was definitely more in there,” he said. “And with better conditions, I know we could have gone faster, as I approached 331mph (532km/h), the Tuatara climbed almost 20mph (32km/h) within the last five seconds. The car wasn’t running out of steam yet. The crosswinds are all that prevented us from realising the car’s limit.”
So what is the SSC Tuatara? It’s an American built hypercar weighing a svelte 1247kg. Powered by a twin-turbo 5.9-litre flatplane crank V8 making either 1007kW at 6800rpm on regular fuel or a mind-boggling 1305kW at 8800rpm on E85. Torque is rated 1735Nm at 6800rpm.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automated manual transmission operated by paddle shifters. The Tuatara sits on 20-inch carbon-forged wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Ultra Sport 2 rubber measuring 245/35 YR20 at the front and 345/35 YR20 out back.
The full list of criteria to claim an official world record include:
Be completed in a production vehicle; it must be identical to the same vehicle anyone can buy
Drive the same route in opposite directions, and average the two speeds. This allows for winds and road grade that may have favoured the vehicle while traveling in only one direction
Achieve this feat on a public road
Have its speed tracked by a certified GPS measurement system, and have two world-record sanctioned witnesses on site for verification.
Run on street tyres
Run on non-race fuel
This isn’t the first time SSC has held the record for world’s fastest production car, with the SSC Aero TT claiming the mantle in 2007 with an officially-recognised 410km/h.
And what of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport’s run of 490.48km/h at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track in 2019? Not recognised because Bugatti didn’t complete two runs, and nor was the single run conducted on a public road as per the criteria for claiming such records.
Rob Margeit has been an automotive journalist for over 20 years, covering both motorsport and the car industry. Rob joined CarAdvice in 2016 after a long career at Australian Consolidated Press. Rob covers automotive news and car reviews while also writing in-depth feature articles on historically significant cars and auto manufacturers. He also loves discovering obscure models and researching their genesis and history.
Sunlight filters down through towering pines, dappling the “grabber blue” skin of my Ford Mach-E GT as it gallops along Highway 1, heedless trivialities like “defensive driving technique” and “speed limits.” Irma Thomas is crooning through the 9-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, her rendition of Time is On My Side a stark contrast to the simulated auditory roar of the GT’s twin permanent-magnet motors as the accelerator pedal slaps against the floorboard. Pouring on speed, I finally see what all the Mach-E fuss was about.
Ok so here’s the part of the story where I eat a big plate of crow. When I reviewed the Mach-E base model back in February I found it to be a perfectly serviceable EV, but more akin to similarly-shaped electric SUVs like the Kia Niro or the Volkswagen ID.4 than the venerated muscle cars I hung posters of in my childhood bedroom. Sure, the pony I drove had plenty of get-up-and-go — EVs are torquey that way — but it never rumbled the depths of my bowels like a naturally aspirated 4-barrel V8 could. The Mach-E GT does. Switch over to the performance-forward Unbridled power management mode — or Unbridled Extend, which optimizes traction and stability control and is great for lapping ICE owners on track day — and the Mach-E GT will haul more ass than a secret lab overflowing with butt monsters. Stomp on the gas in the 480 horsepower, 600 ft-pound torque GT and this thing will loosen your fillings. Do so in the uber-torqued GT Performance edition and you’re liable to swallow a few teeth.
Engadget
It won’t be difficult to spot the GT and Performance editions on the street. I mean, if the prominent GT badge on the rear liftgate and illuminated Mustang icon on the front grille don’t give it away, both iterations sit about 10 mm lower than the base model and have added styling on the front facia. You’ll also be able to spot them via their wheels as both the GT and the Performance sport unique 20-inch rims (as opposed to the 18s and 19s offered on the base) rocking 245/45R20 Continental all-season tires and fire engine red Brembo brake calipers. On the interior, however, the GT is practically identical to the base model, save for the seats which offer added cushioning and lateral support as there is a better than not chance you’re going to get sideways within the first week of owning one.
As for driving performance, I’m a bit torn. Nostalgia, as I’ve explained previously, is a hell of a drug and my fondest automotive memories stem from tearing up San Francisco’s streets in a 65 outfitted with a drag racing suspension and a T-10 3-speed, which has deeply biased my understanding of what to expect from the Mach-E. It is, honestly, difficult to reconcile in my head that the Mustang is now an SUV and, despite its overwhelming power, still largely drives like one. Give me a straight shot like, say, that length of highway 101 running through Silva Island towards Larkspur and the GT can, will, and very much did beat the pants off of any Tesla on the freeway as well as one overly confident, tailgating Supra.
Engadget
The tight, twisting turns of Highway 1, especially the un-railed cliffside sections where a mistimed tap of the accelerator would fly you clear off a 100-plus foot drop, were a different matter entirely. You can feel the understeer, despite it being an AWD, as well as the GT’s 4,600 pounds of curb weight through hairpin turns. But again it’s an SUV, that’s to be expected — even from one with a sub-4 0-60. The GT’s MagneRide suspension — which leverages magneto-rheological fluid to stiffen the ride on demand — shined through during those slaloming sections. Even though the wide-bodied GT wallows like a pig in mud through sharp curves, not once did I have to fight the vehicle’s body roll when entering turns.
The GT starts at $59,900, boasts 480 peak horsepower, 600 lb.-ft. of torque with a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds and an estimated 270 mile range. The GT Performance edition, on the other hand, starts at $64,900, with the same amount of horsepower but a full 634 lb.-ft. of torque and a 3.5 second 0-60 and 260 miles of range. Those figures put the Mach-E GT on par with the Chevy Bolt and VW ID.4 in terms of drivable distance, though the Mustang outclasses them both in terms of driving excitement.
Engadget
Range anxiety wasn’t much of a concern during my test drive thanks to the Mach-E’s connected navigation system which continually monitors the vehicle’s battery levels and points out available charging stations along the drive route. What’s more, Ford is offering two years of complimentary use of its Blue Oval Charge Network. For those drivers who wish to do their charging at home, Ford’s Connected Charging station can add 30 miles per charging hour on a 240V outlet while the included mobile charging cord can impart 20 miles of range per hour using a similar 240V outlet.
Deliveries for both the GT and the GT Performance edition have already begun.
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The 2005 Ford GT originally owned by Jeremy Clarkson has appeared for sale again in the UK.
Listed by Essex-based performance car specialists GT 101, this is your opportunity to own the car that broke Clarkson’s heart. The GT caused a stir when it was previously listed for sale in 2017.
Having appeared on Top Gear with its owner when new, whoever buys the GT will get a genuine piece of TV history.
Sounding the alarm
Clarkson tested a pre-production version of the first Ford GT in 2003. He expressed his admiration for the mid-engined supercar on Top Gear, making it clear how much he wanted to own one.
Only 27 cars were allocated to the UK, but Clarkson’s status helped him secure one. This led to a two-year wait, with the list price for the 550hp GT increasing during that time.
Once finally delivered, Clarkson’s car immediately began to cause problems. Faults with the alarm system and engine immobiliser saw the GT returned to Ford for a refund after only a month.
Jezza would later buy the car back, but eventually replaced it with a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.
Ready for a power lap?
Following the sale, the car passed into the hands of a new private owner. During their tenure, the majority of the 24,454 miles shown on the odometer were added.
New additions include adjustable KW suspension components, along with an Accufab performance exhaust system. The GT’s original parts have been retained, should a new owner wish to return the car to stock specification.
The rest of the car remains as ordered by Clarkson. This includes the desirable BBS alloy wheels, plus painted white stripes over Midnight Blue paintwork. The Alpine sound system includes Bluetooth connectivity.
Star in a reasonably priced supercar
Service records for the car, and its 5.4-litre supercharged V8 engine, are noted as being comprehensive and up to date. A new battery has recently been added, with the MOT good until June 2022.
The market for first-generation Ford GTs is notably buoyant in the United States. However, it remains something of a blue-collar bargain in the UK.
A sale price of £269,000 ($369,000) has been set by GT 101. For a 205mph supercar previously owned by one of the world’s biggest motoring celebrities, that seems a relatively small price to pay.
The automotive YouTuber weighed in on the striking similarities between the two supercars.
via Ford Performance Twitter
The Ford GT, in its modern iteration, first appeared in public in 2016 and will be in production until the 2022 model year. Along the way were some special heritage editions, and Ford is about to launch another. This is the Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition. It’s an interesting looking prospect from the teaser images, and YouTuber and automotive journalist Shmee150 has taken a look at the images, as they closely resemble the Ford GT that he already has in his shmeemobile collection.
The First Look At The Ford GT Heritage
As Shmee himself says, the teaser images don’t reveal a lot about the car, but we do see the colors. The car is in Race Red which isn’t the same as his Ford GT, but the car has Alan Mann Gold Stripes, which Shmee says are the same color as the ones on his car. White stripes are also on the car such as on the nosecone, above the headlights and on the underside of the rear wing The second image of the car shows the white on the rear wing, as well as a number 16.
RELATED: Two Ford GT Heritage Editions To Sell With No Reserve At Barrett-Jackson 2022 Scottsdale Auction
Paying Tribute To The Past
via Ford Performance Twitter
Ford’s GT Heritage Editions have paid tribute to significant milestones in the car’s past, such as the Ken Miles and prototype editions. Shmee explains that the Alan Mann Racing team had great success in the 1960s in sport and GT racing, such as in 1968 when the Escort MK 1 won the British Touring Car Championship. That was in the same red and gold livery. This is the color that Shmee had his Ford GT done in, although he had no idea at the time an Alan Mann edition would be coming out. Shmee doesn’t go for designs that are already out there, but of course, he had no idea the Ford GT was coming out in this livery. This is also going to be the final Ford GT Heritage Edition.
RELATED: Watch: Ken Block’s Daughter Races Modified Mustang Against 6-Second R35 Nissan GT-R
A Different Color Of Red
via Shmee150 YouTube Channel
The Race Red on this Heritage GT though is different to the red on Shmee’s Ford GT, being a flat, glossy red on the Heritage, compared to the pearlescent, dark, liquid red on Shmee’s. The extra painted elements, the white stripes, will only be on the Alan Mann special. Shmee though, says he thinks it’s a great design, even if it does take away from the exclusivity slightly from his Ford GT. He says it is all swings and roundabouts, and that he won’t trade his own GT for one of the new ones, as he has created so many memories with his own GT. Shmees might even have been the first Ford GT to leave the factory with bespoke painted stripes.
Source: Shmee150 YouTube Channel
2022 Ford GT: Costs, Facts, And Figures
The third-gen model of the iconic Ford GT is a racecar for the road. Find out everything about it here.
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Henry Kelsall (2079 Articles Published)
Covering anything from JDM cars to classic jets. Contributed to HotCars since the Autumn of 2018. Writes features, news and list articles.
Almost 20 years after its debut, the impact of the Ford GT can be hard to recall. Back in 2003 – much like in the early sixties – supercars were hardly a Ford speciality. Its most recent foray into mid-engined cars was the RS200, and the turn of the century didn’t find the Mustang in rude health. Of course, its hatchbacks were very good. But the GT40 was a distant memory, if you were old enough to remember it in the first place.
Consequently, while it was built to celebrate the Blue Oval’s centenary, expectations weren’t all that high for the new GT, what with the pick-up engine and very short development time. But the car’s significance was not lost on the manufacturer, and it went about things the right way, buying a Ferrari 360 Modena and using it as the high bar for its ambitions. Naturally the GT was much more powerful, yet it earned just as many plaudits for its handling – in short, nobody expected it to drive as well as it did. So improbable and spectacular was the GT40’s legend that it could never be adequately replaced, but Ford came as close as anyone could reasonably hope.
Its reward was tremendous hype; demand massively outstripped supply. More than 2,000 applications were made for only 101 build slots. One of the very lucky customers, you might remember, was Jeremy Clarkson. His was one of just 28 UK allocated Ford GTs, making it an extremely rare car. You might remember that his ownership experience wasn’t exactly painless – nor was he silent about it – but clearly the teething problems were eventually ironed out, because now, 25,000 miles later, the very same example is up for sale. Glad to see it got some use in the end…
“The most miserable month’s motoring it is possible to imagine” is how Clarkson described his time with the GT back in 2005. That said, his problem was very much with the security rather than the vehicle itself – “it’s a great, great car that was ruined by a useless ape who fitted a crummy aftermarket alarm system” – which means it was left to the next owner to fall in love with it. Clearly they did; they’ve held onto it since originally purchasing in 2006.
Said to be responsible for the “vast majority” of the current 24,454 mileage tally, the owner has also added KW suspension and an Accufab exhaust in their time with the car. The original parts have been retained for those wishing to return it to factory specification. Interestingly the Alpine audio system originally specified by Clarkson is still in place. As you might expect, the GT looks superb, particularly sat a little lower on the new suspension. A decade and a half has done nothing to soften its impact; aside from a few stone chips mentioned in the ad it looks to be in fine condition. With a long MOT, fresh service and decent tyres, the GT is ready for a new owner to add to that admirable odometer count.
Furthermore, by the standards of this car and celebrity ownership cases, this GT isn’t even very much money. Somehow there are still cars languishing with three-figure mileages for more than £350,000; Clarkson’s former steed is on offer at £269,000. Which doesn’t seem all that steep for one of the best cars Ford has ever made – and especially not for perhaps the most (in)famous example. At least you know all the early problems have been sorted now…
When Jerod Shelby established SSC North America in 1998, he had one main goal – to become one of America’s greatest automakers, building powerful supercars that can rival the very best from more established American and European brands. Fast forward to two short decades later, and Shelby’s dream seems to have come true with the awe-inspiring Tuatara.
RELATED: 10 Greatest American Sports Cars That Aren’t A Corvette
Debuted at the 2020 Philadelphia Auto Show, the Tuatara is one of the best American cars ever designed. This car looks like the American version of the Pagani Huayra and according to Shelby, it will be the most powerful American car ever produced. As we wait for the amazing Tuatara to hit the streets, let’s explore some quick facts about it.
10 The Tuatara Is The Fastest Production Car In The World
Via CNBC
After two initial failed attempts, the SSC Tuatara finally earned its place in the automotive history books when it broke the production car top speed record set by the Koenigsegg Agera RS in 2017. The Tuatara recorded a two-way average speed of 282.9 using a runway at the Kennedy Space Center, beating the Agera RS by just over five seconds.
Via AutoExpress
The run was verified with satellite tracking systems from Garmin, Racelogic, Life Racing, and IMRA. While this is an impressive feat, Shelby said that they are not done yet. SSC is planning another run in the second quarter of 2021, and it hopes the Tuatara will be the first car to break the 300 mph barrier.
9 The Tuatara Has A Beautiful Design Penned By Ex-Pininfarina Designer Jason Castriota
Via CNN
Jared Shelby’s main goal was to make the Tuatara the most powerful American sports car, but he also wanted to make it one of the best-looking sports cars ever. To achieve this, he knew he had to work with a world-class designer, so he hired Jason Castriota – a veteran designer who has previously worked for Pininfarina and Bertone.
Via: exclusivecarregistry.com
Castriota’s design didn’t disappoint. The Tuatara’s V-shaped nose, alluring curves, and canopy-like cabin give it a stylish profile that stands out from the rest. It also has Butterfly doors that make it easy to hop on and serve as a stunning curbside attraction.
8 The Tuatara Is Not The First SSC Car To Break The ‘Fastest Production Car’ Record
via pinterest
If there’s one thing that SSC has proven it knows, it’s making incredibly fast sports cars. Back in 2007, SSC’s first-ever production car – the Ultimate Aero – shocked the world when it broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest production car.
RELATED: Ranking The Fastest Cars In The World, Slowest To Fastest
via bestcarmag.com
The Ultimate Aero achieved a top speed of 256.14 mph, narrowly beating the 253.81 mph record set two years earlier by the Bugatti Veyron. Bugatti’s engineers immediately went back to the drawing board and three years later, they regained their title when the new Veyron Super Sport recorded a top speed of 267.856 mph.
7 The Tuatara Is Controversial
via Tuatara
The Tuatara’s journey to becoming the fastest production car in the world has been glorious, but it has not been without its fair share of controversy. In October 2020, the Tuatara was all over automotive magazines when SSC claimed it had recorded a one-way top speed of 331.15 mph and a two-way average of 316.11 mph on a closed road outside of Las Vegas – beating the Koenigsegg Agera RS record by 46.6 mph.
via Tuatara
However, after a closer inspection of the footage by various independent analysts, it was revealed that the onboard videos depicting the run were ‘substantially incorrect.’ Wanting to save his company’s good name, Shelby agreed to do a re-run later.
6 All Major Tuatara Components Are Built By SSC
Via TopCarRating
In the automotive world, it’s not uncommon to find manufacturers using their competitors’ components in their cars – such as Pagani using a Mercedes engine. Manufacturers do it to save time and to ensure that they use tested and proven components.
Via Pinterest
However, this was not the case for the Tuatara. Jerod Shelby has so much confidence in his team’s abilities that he decided from the get-go that the Tuatara’s engine, transmission, suspension, chassis, and other major components are built by SSC from scratch.
5 The Tuatara Uses One Of The Most Powerful Engines Ever Built
Via Pinterest
For a supercar to crush the production car speed record, it needs to have a really special engine. SSC knew that none of the engines in existence would meet the Tuatara’s massive power needs, so it built one from the ground up.
via The Drive
The engine they built turned out to be a work of art. The 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 produces a jaw-dropping 1,350 horsepower when using normal gas and an even crazier 1,750 horsepower when using special E85 ethanol fuel. This gives the 2,750-pound Tuatara face-bending acceleration.
4 SSC Spent Years Developing The Tuatara’s Exhaust Note
Via ArabGT
Most purists believe that the sound a car makes when the driver revs the engine is a key part of the whole driving experience – which explains why so many are reluctant to switch to electric hypercars even when they are more powerful. Jerod Shelby knew this, so he spent years developing the perfect exhaust note.
RELATED: The 10 Best Sounding Cars Ever Made
Via RGJ
According to Shelby, the Tuatara needed a unique sound unlike the scream of a Ferrari or the rumble of a muscle car, and he finally achieved it. SSC also worked on the sound of the door latches, the sound of the starter igniting the mighty engine, and the sound of the automatic shift.
3 The Tuatara Will Have A Limited Production Run
via Driven Plus
As anyone would expect with a car as complicated as the Tuatara, the production will be limited to just 100 units. SSC wants to maintain the kind of exclusivity its target market demands and ensure that each car is perfect when it leaves the factory.
New Atlas
SSC has partnered with Linder Power Systems to fabricate engine components, Nelson Racing Engines to build the engine, and Automac to produce the seven-speed automated manual transmission. Buyers can choose between two configurations of the Tuatara – high-speed or high-downforce.
2 The Tuatara Is Only For The Super Rich
via engadget
The Tuatara has all the ingredients of a super-expensive car – a killer design, carbon fiber construction, a limited production run, and the fact that it’s the fastest production car money can buy. Although the Tuatara’s price is not officially confirmed, reports suggest that it will have a base price of around $1.6 million and will go past $2 million depending on the buyer’s options.
via Antone Barnes / The Brand Architects
SSC has also announced that the Tuatara will have a cheaper ‘little brother.’ This will still be a powerful hypercar, but it will be a scaled-down version of the Tuatara with a price more people can afford.
1 All Tuataras Will Be Tested By Jarod Shelby
via YouTube
Jerod Shelby is a hands-on type of boss, as shown by how heavily involved in the Tuatara’s world record attempts. In an interview for Top Gear Magazine, Shelby said that he will be 100 percent involved in the development, tuning, and test driving of every Tuatara.
Via Reddit
According to Shelby, observing and experiencing the car during test drives is much better than having to rely on second-hand information from a test driver. A test drive is the only way for Shelby to ensure that all 100 Tuatara buyers get the perfect experience just as he had dreamed it.
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About The Author
Martin Peter (244 Articles Published)
Martin is a seasoned content creator who has been writing about cars for over a decade, and has been in love with them for even longer. Growing up, Martin was surrounded by gearheads who instilled a deep love and understanding for cars in him at a young age. He loves to learn and write about all the developments happening in the auto industry – especially in the EV space. When he’s not writing about cars, he likes to spend quality time with his wife, kids, and fur baby.
Lest you think we don’t read your letters, we get it: You think a Ford Mustang should be a two-door, rear-drive, V-8-powered pony car. But let’s face facts, shall we? The Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV is very much here and very much a Mustang; it even says so on the label. But that’s not to say there hasn’t been room for improvement; for example, Ford launched the Mustang Mach-E last year without a higher-powered GT variant at the outset. That’s like rolling out a new-generation Mustang without a V-8 to start. It took them a while, but the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition is finally here, so naturally we strapped our test gear on it to find out if the wait was worth it.
Mustang Mach-E GT and Mach-E—What’s the Difference? What Is the Performance Edition?
Like the decades of gas-powered Mustangs that’ve preceded it, the Mustang Mach-E GT follows the same tried-and-true formula: make a sportier-looking, better-handling, and more powerful pony car SUV. The standard Mustang Mach-E GT sports two upsized permanent-magnet electric motors—one at each axle—good for a combined 480 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque, backed up by the Mach-E’s larger 93-kWh battery pack, upsized brake rotors, a retuned suspension, and 20-inch wheels wrapped in performance-oriented all-seasons. The Mach-E GT Performance Edition takes things a bit further. Although horsepower is unchanged, torque rises to 634 lb-ft, and it also gets MagneRide dampers, sticky summer rubber, and upgraded Brembo brakes at the front wheels. Range falls by just 10 miles versus the standard Mustang Mach-E GT, from 270 miles to 260.
Does the Mustang Mach-E GT Feel Like a Mustang on the Road? How Fast Is It?
Straight-line speed is traditionally where a Mustang GT offers the most thrills, and the Mach-E GT Performance Edition is no exception. Although it isn’t as violent off the line as some other high-performance electric SUVs, the Ford launches hard, and without a more conventional transmission to deal with, its twin motors are almost always in the meat of their powerband. Interestingly, the Mach-E’s power starts to quickly taper off as you near triple-digit speeds—something that undoubtedly affected its performance numbers.
With our test gear strapped into the passenger seat and GPS receiver gaff-taped to the roof, the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition’s best 0-60-mph run took 3.6 seconds, just a tenth of a second behind the last 2021 Tesla Model Y Performance we tested, but seven-tenths quicker than the V-8-powered 2021 Mustang Mach 1. Weirdly, our best launches weren’t made using the Mach-E’s sport mode (cheekily named “Unbridled”), but in the default “Engage” drive mode. We found Engage to be quicker for both our 0-60 and quarter-mile runs, the latter of which saw the Mach-E GT run down the dragstrip in 12.6 seconds at 100.6 mph. That ties the latest Mustang Mach 1’s quarter-mile time (though 12.5 mph slower), but it lags significantly behind a Model Y Performance, which runs the quarter in 12.0 seconds at 114.7 mph.
“Very strong low-end acceleration, but when it got beyond 80 mph, there was a very noticeable power drop, also indicated on the power bar on the instrument cluster,” road test analyst Alan Lau said.
The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition’s braking and handling didn’t disappoint, either. It hides its nearly 5,000 pounds well with quick and precise steering, and its firm yet not punishing ride mitigates body roll. Things get particularly fun in Unbridled mode with traction and stability control off; this EV SUV allows a surprising(ly fun) amount of oversteer. Its stopping power is particularly good, too. “The best of any EV I’ve tested,” road test editor Chris Walton said of the Mach-E GT’s brakes. “They are highly effective and very well tuned for trail-braking: easy to predict, control, and release.”
Walton’s impressions hold up when breaking down the Mustang EV’s 60-0-mph and figure-eight test numbers. On the former, the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition stops in just 105 feet—that’s 9 feet longer than a Mach 1 but 8 shorter than a more comparable Model Y Performance. On the figure eight, it busted out a 24.9-second lap at 0.78 g average in Unbridled Extend mode—a sport performance mode designed to keep the battery and motors in their optimal temperature range for autocross and track days. Although the mode worked as advertised, the Mach-E generally needed to sit parked for at least 15 minutes before we could get it to engage. The Mach-E GT’s lap is just a tenth of a second and 0.01 g less than a Model Y Performance, but not surprisingly it lags a fair bit behind a Mustang Mach 1, which lapped the course in 23.7 seconds at 0.82 g.
A Nerdy Note on Charging the Mustang Mach-E GT
Although the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition doesn’t disappoint on the road, we’re a bit perplexed by its Level 3 DC battery charging speed. It’s nominally rated for a 150-kW peak rate (to put that in perspective, Teslas max out at a 250-kW peak, while the 2022 Kia EV6—a direct competitor—will allow for a 350-kW peak). In real-world testing, the Mustang Mach-E’s charge curve was aggressively conservative.
Utilizing a 350-kW Electrify America fast charger, it took us 41 minutes to charge from 15 to 80 percent capacity, which is bang on what Ford advertises the Mach-E to be capable of achieving. (Plugging it into a 350-kW charger is a bit like filling up a Prius with premium, but we chose that particular charger because we knew it worked well.) So, what’s the problem? Our issue is that once you get past that 80 percent rate—like, say, if you’d like to add a little bit more of a range buffer during a road trip—the charge rate drops from the low-90-kW range to just 13 kW, or about the rate a Level 2 overnight charger delivers electricity to a vehicle. Long story long, it will lead to Mach-E owners spending more time than they need to at the charger.
There isn’t another EV on the market we can recall that has such a slow post-80 percent charge rate, so we reached out to Ford for comment. A spokesperson told us the automaker designed the slow post-80 percent rate in an attempt to maximize the Mustang’s battery life but that it has committed “to expand [the DC fast charge] curve ‘ceiling’ to greater than 80 percent state of charge through a Ford Power-Up over-the-air software update.” No official word on what the new ceiling will be, but Ford’s general manager of battery electric vehicles told InsideEVs the automaker is currently looking at raising the fast-charge ceiling from 80 to 90 percent. No word yet on when Mach-E owners can expect the over-the-air update.
How Much Does the Mustang Mach-E Cost?
Prices for the Mustang Mach-E GT are competitive for the segment, with prices starting at $61,000. That undercuts the Model Y Performance ($65,190 this week), even when you match equipment levels. The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition’s value proposition is a little murkier. The package adds $5,000 to the bottom line, and if you opt for the panoramic glass roof, Ford’s BlueCruise advanced driver assist system, and a premium color like that found on our test car, the sticker balloons to an as-tested price of $69,800.
So, Is the Mach-E GT Really a Mustang?
The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition doesn’t look or sound like a traditional Mustang, but the performance it offers certainty lives up to the promises implied by the Mustang GT name. While it isn’t perfect, the electrified pony SUV is a promising rethink of what the Mustang is, and what it can be.
Looks good! More details?
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E4x (Performance Edition) Specifications
