Fastest Production Car Is Now In USA!!!

[Kalun D]

Don't know where to post this, it's not directly related to the GT40 but it is a mid engine V8. The world top speed record for a production car has been broken, it's no longer the Veyron, it's now a local (Wash. state) effort. The SSC Ultimate Aero. Not bad for 1/3 the price of the Bugatti.

No PS, no traction control, 2wd, twin turbo v8, 1,183 hp, 1,094 ft/lbs torque.

256 mph, AND they ran out of road....

The world's fastest street-legal car - BusinessWeek.com - MSNBC.com

Has anyone pursued top speed records in their 40's? I was thinking about the salt flats but the more I look at it the less I like it. The salt is smooth but the traction is weak. Get out of line and you're spinning at best or catching air and flipping. Plus the salt gets in everything and is corrosive.

I've heard about the speed trials back east but is there anything in the west for top speed runs besides the salt flats?

[Lynn Miner]

Kalun D

Just a couple quick comments about running the Salt Flats. I am certainly no authority on this but last fall I checked into taking my 40 down to Speed Week to see what it would do. I contacted the club in California that has control of Bonneville and spent quite a bit of time talking to the Tech Official. These are the guys that let you run. What he said was: any car over 200mph required 4 things in addition to the obvious need to be mechanically sound.

You need:
Speed rated tires (no brainer there)
An automatic fire suppression system (not too big a deal)
A parachute (again, not too big a deal)
A full certified roll cage (that was the killer for me)

There are lots of pictures and ideas on this site on how to do a roll cage but the type spec'd in the Speed Week rule book either needs to be built with the chassis or effectively destroy the body getting it in after the body is on. It needs to be all welded and basically one large chunk of iron.

So much for a 200+ mph run at the flats (at least for me).