The SSC Tuatara is a mean beast that lugs around a twin-turbo V-8 that’s good for 1,750 horsepower, a 2.5-second sprint to 60 mph, and a top speed in excess of 300 mph. The latest bit has yet to be proven, but in an interview with Top Gear, SSC Head Jerod Shelby, has confirmed that the company has found a driver and a suitable location for its long-awaited top-speed run. This aside, the SSC Tuatara doesn’t come cheap with a price than runs nearly $2 million – something that leaves it available to, well, the top 0.5-percent of the world’s population. Now, we’ve learned that a smaller, more affordable model is coming.

The Entry-Level Tuatara Should be a Little More Affordable

In his interview with Top Gear, Shelby stopped short of really spilling much about the Tuatara’s “little brother,” as it’s called. He did admit that it would have a more attainable starting price and should offer a similar design and performance.

Of course, when you’re starting off from a car that runs nearly $2,000,000, a “much lower price” could still easily sit in the seven-figure range. Even a 50-percent reduction in cost would leave the car attainable to a very small portion of the world’s population. The lower price tag, however, does hint at higher production numbers. With the Tuatara being produced in only 100 examples, this is good news.

When Will the SSC Tuatara Make a Top Speed Record Attempt?

At this point, there’s still no word as to when the SSC Tuatara will make its attempt at not only breaking the 300-mph barrier but setting a world record. While some will argue that the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ holds the record at 304.773 mph, that’s actually far from the truth. Bugatti didn’t do the speed run both ways in that car – a requirement for setting an official world record, so the real, documented record to beat is the Koenigsegg Agera RS’ 277.9 mph two-run average from November 2019.

With that said, SSC is closer than ever to making an attempt, as Shelby has admitted that the company has found both the driver and the location to make a run. Now it’s just a matter of finding the perfect weather and hoping for the best. Now, the real question on everyone’s mind is who will break the official record first – Hennessey with the Venom F5, Koenigsegg with the Jesko Absolut, or SSC with the Tuatara? Only time will tell my friends.