At the end of last month, SSC issued a press release saying the first customer delivery of its Tuatara would take place August 16 at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering. Coronation day has come and gone, yet we’ve not heard news nor seen photos of the handover. No matter, a complete Tuatara did grace the Quail lawn, alongside a naked version stripped to its carbon fiber superstructure. We secured plenty of photos of the production hypercar hailing from the Pacific Northwest, and of its engine marked by the label, “1.3 Megawatts.” That refers to the 1,750 horsepower available from the angry 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 when run on E85. Regular premium fuel will “only” get a driver 1,350 horses. At some point in the future, those performance figures are meant to add up to a 300-mile-per-hour top-speed run.
SSC’s release also said, “future customers and members of the press have had the opportunity to experience its extreme performance and track-level handling, hailing it for its comfort, drivability, and driving experience unlike any other car on the market.” Said reviews of the knee-high coupe are, like the first customer and key handover, M.I.A. at the moment. We look forward to seeing all of them sometime this quarter. Until then, enjoy the high-res gallery. We really do wish SSC would have more fun with the color choices, though; the Tuatara on Pebble Beach duty last year was bathed in a light, matte gray, and was sensational.