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Category: Highlight

  • SSC Tuatara falls short in new land-speed record attempt, will run again

    SSC claimed to set a new land-speed record for a production car in October with its Tuatara supercar hitting a two-way average of 316.11 mph. Issues with the run and how it was measured prompted company CEO Jerod Shelby to abandon that claim soon thereafter, but he promised to make the run again. Now, that’s happened, but it didn’t go as planned, and no land-speed record was set.

    Last Wednesday, Nürburgring taxi driver Robert Mitchell posted a video to YouTube detailing the SSC Tuatara’s Dec. 12-13 record attempt.

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    The SSC team ran the new record attempt at the NASA runway in Florida, the same runway where Hennessey Performance Engineering set its record in the Venom GT Spyder.

    During the first attempt in October, the SSC team used a Dewetron TRIONet chassis with a GPS card and a laptop computer to process the satellite tracking data. For this new record attempt, the SSC team put redundancies in place for satellite tracking with two Racelogic systems including a VBox and an OEM system, a Life Racing tracking system, and three Garmin systems all installed in the Tuatara. Some were installed on the roof of the car and some were placed in the frunk. The latter posed an issue due to wires running out of the hood into the car, which caused the hood to keep popping open during high-speed runs at over 200 mph, according to Mitchell.

    The first record attempt placed professional race car driver Oliver Webb behind the wheel, but for the second attempt the owner, Larry Caplin, raised his hand and said, “I’m driving, I’m the owner of the car, this is my car,” according to Mitchell.

    Since Caplin had minimal seat time in the car, SSC decided to reduce turbo boost and slow down the engine timing, then build things back as Caplin became more comfortable.

    SSC Tuatara record run

    SSC Tuatara record run

    During Caplin’s second-to-last run, the Tuatara hit 244 mph in 6th gear at the runway’s halfway point. At that point, the car became so hot that the engine software began to pull the timing to save the engine. The issue affected two spark plugs, though nobody checked the plugs and didn’t realize the issue existed.

    A chill box was installed to cool the intercooler and the entire engine for nearly two hours to restore a proper temperature. The boost was increased to within 3 pounds of full power, and Caplin went out for one more run.

    This time the Tuatara hit 251.2 mph before the halfway point when Caplin aborted as he felt the car wasn’t building speed as it should. At this point, the SSC team realized two cylinders had lost power, and the record attempt was over. The 251.2 mph run was done with two cylinders not firing properly.

    Motor Authority reached out to Shelby to confirm Mitchell’s story on the record attempt and has not heard back as of the time of publication.

    SSC plans to run the record attempt again at the NASA runway in January, according to Mitchell. Click on the video above for a deeper explanation of the run.

    Source

  • Someone turned a Porsche Carrera GT into the ultimate track car, and now it can be yours

    The Porsche Carrera GT is a pretty extreme vehicle, but for one original owner there was additional performance required.

    The Carrera GT you see here, a 2005 example, was originally ordered by a customer from Belgium who wanted to take it racing, and thus fulfil Porsche’s original goal for the engine and platform that went into the Carrera GT (they were originally developed for Le Mans).

    As a result, he ended up commissioning a firm by the name of GPR Racing to turn his supercar into a race car. The result is the Carrera GT-R you see here, and it’s currently listed for sale by expert restorer Mechatronik for 849,000 euros (approximately $1,037,180).

    Porsche Carrera GT-R by GPR Racing

    Porsche Carrera GT-R by GPR Racing

    Incredibly, it only has 2,000 kilometers (approximately 1,242 miles) on its odometer. It never ended up being used as a race car as there was no series where it could be homologated, even with Balance of Performance rules. According to the listing, the car is making 650 horsepower, up from the stock Carrera GT’s 603 hp.

    The modifications made to the car are extensive and allegedly cost over 220,000 euros. The list includes a new engine management system from Motec, a custom pushrod suspension system including new wishbones, and brakes from AP Racing. There’s also an air jack system, BBS magnesium wheels, and a stripped out interior where everything that needed to stay was replaced with lighter carbon-fiber elements. A roll cage and fire suppression system have also been installed.

    You can find the listing here.

    Source

  • Here’s how the ultimate car detailing garage was built

    Ammo NYC founder Larry Kosilla brings an obsessive attention to detail to everything he does, including the space where he works on cars. After outgrowing his home garage, Kosilla set out to build the ultimate detailing garage, a process that took about a year.

    Kosilla started with an existing building, working with an architect on an extensive remodeling. The building is divided into three areas, including garage bays on the ground level, an office, and an editing suite for videos shot in the garage.

    To convert the ground level from its previous function as an art studio to a garage, core samples were taken to ensure the concrete could support heavy vehicle lifts. The lift locations were then mocked up with cardboard, and cuts were made in the appropriate places. Pipes were also installed in the floor for the lifts’ hydraulics, and in the walls for a central vacuuming system that can be used for cars in the garage bays, or to clean upstairs spaces.

    Ammo NYC detailing garage

    Ammo NYC detailing garage

    Kosilla also outfitted the garage with custom-built Moduline cabinets and Prevost air lines, the latter featuring a snazzy blue enamel coating.

    The garage floor got an epoxy coating with a UV protectant and an additional layer to “knock down” the gloss finish, as powerful lights were also installed in the garage bays that could damage the finish, or produce excess glare that would be picked up by camera lenses. Walls, meanwhile, were painted gray to keep the focus on the cars.

    Watch the full video for complete details on this build. It’s part car video, part home-improvement how-to.

    Source