Monday 24th September 2007
Shelby Supercars (SSC) reported a world record 257 mph run in speed testing of its 1183bhp, twin-turbo V8 Ultimate Aero TT. The first pass was recorded at 257.41mph (414.31kmh) and the second pass was recorded at 254.88mph (410.24kmh) in testing on a temporarily-closed two lane stretch of public highway in the company’s home state of Washington for an average top speed of 256.15mph. The feat broke the current official record held by the Koenigsegg CCR at 242mph and the Bugatti Veyron’s unofficial speed of 253mph. SSC overcame the lack of a dedicated test site in achieving the speed and the result could have been faster if not for the road’s slight elevation changes and an S-bend 1.5 miles before braking was required according to test driver Chuck Bigelow: “if there was additional straight pavement on which to accelerate, the top speed would have been considerably higher”.
