The bi-annual Dubai Motor Show is now in full gear and one of the first cars that are taking center-stage is the ultra-slick and mind-numbingly fast SSC Ultimate Aero. Considered as one of the fastest production cars on the face of the earth, the Shelby SuperCars-created Ultimate Aero boasts of a 0-60 mph time of just 2.78 seconds and predictably with that blistering speed comes a pretty steep price tag in the region of $740,000. What’s even more special with this particular Ultimate Aero that’s turning heads left and right at the Dubai Motor Show is the fact that it comes with a set of one-piece all-carbon-fiber wheels, making the already drool-worthy car that much more salivating.
And let’s not forget, this is Dubai. With the influx of supercars growing exponentially in the region in the past few years, it’s not a far-fetched idea to think that the Ultimate Aero will be burning out the streets of this supercar-laden country in the coming years.
Here’s to hoping the prospective drivers treat this bad boy with the utmost care it rightfully deserves.
There are things in life that, no matter how hard we try, just don’t mix. Hamburgers and wine. Conan O’Brien and slasher movies. Super cars and Third World countries. The last one is worth noting because one of the world’s fastest vehicles – the Ultimate Aero – is somehow making its way to India. Yes, that India.
The Aero’s manufacturer, Shelby Super Car (SSC) will be releasing the car in Mumbai sometime in the coming months, making it the third market after the US and Russia where the Aero will be exclusively sold. The car is expected to go on sale for over Rs 6 crore, which in US dollars would amount to around $1.2 million, thereby making it the most expensive car ever to be sold in the country.
Now forgive us for being sceptical about this but can you imagine the Ultimate Aero, with its maximum speed of 413 kmh, blasting through the tight and bustling streets of India?
Neither can we.
Continued after the jump.
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Whenever we refer to the car that holds the world record for top speed, this is the one. Not the car model, but the actual current record holding car is up for sale on eBay.
This 2007 Shelby Super Coupe Ultimate Aero made a 257 mph pass on a remote road in Washington (the full run averaged to 255.83 mph), and went into the record books. While the 2007 car’s 1180 hp twin turbo V8 is impressive, SSC has upped the power for 2009 to 1287 hp.
The auction is currently up to over half a million dollars, and the reserve is still not yet met. Then again, the winner not only get a car that’s faster than a Bugatti Veyron, but also gets a certificate from Guinness World Records as well as a nifty commemorative watch too.
Shelby Super Cars (SSC) produces the world’s fastest road-going car, the 255 mph Ultimate Aero, but SSC isn’t going to cool its record-stetting heels. For 2009 SSC has decided to upgrade the the ultra-rare supercar’s twin-turbo V8 from 1183 hp to 1287. This kind of power also has SSC setting the bar for a new world record: 270 mph.
Besides the impressive output, the Ultimate Aero also gets a redesigned frontal area with enhanced aerodynamics, as well as carbon fiber louvers on the side intakes draw in 20 percent more air into the radiators. SSC is also introducing a system called AeroBrake, which will alter the angle of the rear spoiler during hard braking (similar the system is used on the Mercedes SLR).
Although 2009 pricing has not been announced, the 2008 model is priced around $650,000. So if the cost doesn’t change too much, that’s a paltry sum to be the fastest person on your block — no matter where you live.
Press release after the jump.
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Shelby Supercars is promising to next year unveil a SSC Aero Ev, a fully electric version of their Aero model. Powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor, the Ultimate Aero EV will have true supercar performance. Additionally, SSC is exploring the potential of a twin 500 horsepower electric power plant producing 1,000 horsepower in a 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration. This car should break all electric car speed records.
In Shelby’s press release they stated, "The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging." Years? Really? They have left many people scratching there heads with that statement.
"I think we can do it faster, leaner and cleaner than any other manufacturer," says SSC boss Jerod Shelby, clearly not a man given to understatement. Whatever Shelby have planed, they know it is going to be big. While these cars are not going to be in everyones garage it might make enough of a splash to make engineers start looking at batteries rather than cylinders.
Shelby Supercars are set to unveil the first prototype in February 2009, with production cars appearing at the end of next year.
