The world record-holding SSC Tuatara has been badly damaged after a truck carrying it crashed in Utah.
Images and video of the wrecked hypercar were sent exclusively to The Drive that reports the car was on its way to Florida in pursuit of another top speed world record. Unfortunately, the truck carrying the car was hit by high winds on Interstate 15 near Salt Lake City, flipping over and causing extensive damage to both the truck and the car.
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The Tuatara in question is the same car that posted an official top speed of 282.9 mph (455.3 km/h) averaged over two runs in opposite directions back in late January, snatching the production car top speed record away from the Koenigsegg Agera RS set in 2017 at 277.87 mph (447.2 km/h). However, SSC continues to pursue the 300 mph (482 km/h) barrier.
Speaking with The Drive, Jerod Shelby said that the damage sustained to the Tuatara was only cosmetic and that repairs are already being carried out. Nevertheless, photos show that pretty much all body panels received some kind of damage and will need to be replaced. Shelby added that the truck was so badly damaged that its internal lift was destroyed so the car had to be extricated with the help of a tow truck.
“At first glance, we thought it was going to be pretty severe, but it ended up not too bad at all,” Shelby said of the damage. “We’re well into the repairs, and fortunately, it didn’t touch chassis, drivetrain, suspension, any of that.”
Despite the damage, Shelby said another top speed attempt can be expected in “weeks not months.”