69°F
weather icon Clear

Production car blasts to record on Highway 160

Updated October 20, 2020 - 6:42 pm

A new record was set on Highway 160 for a production vehicle — this time by American hypercar company SSC North America.

The 1,750-horsepower SSC Tuatara rocketed off the line early Oct. 10 in the early morning hours along Highway 160, just east of Tecopa Road in the southbound lanes, to an average speed of 316.11 mph.

That followed two consecutive high-speed test runs of 301.07 mph and 331.15 mph, which brought it to the average speed, a release from the company stated.

The SSC Tuatara, in accordance with the record criteria, had to travel in two opposite directions within one hour to take the record for fastest production vehicle.

“It’s been ten years since we held this record with our first car, the Ultimate Aero, and the Tuatara is leagues ahead. Its performance reflects the dedication and focus with which we pursued this achievement,” said Jerod Shelby, CEO of SSC. “We came pretty close to meeting the theoretical numbers, which is astonishing to do in a real world setting on a public road. America’s new claim to victory in the ‘land-based space race’ is going to be tough to beat.”

SSC beat the previous record holder, the Koenigsegg Agera RS supercar, that swept down Highway 160 in 2017 to an average speed of 277.9 mph, reaching a top speed of 284.6 mph.

SSC is set to unveil its speed record across the globe, but kept things under wraps since making its historic run earlier this month.

The company worked with the Nevada Department of Transportation to close a seven-mile stretch of the highway for two days, just outside of Pahrump. SSC used multiple assets to film the Tuatara’s record run, including a helicopter, several drones and a subsonic T-33 jet from XM2 Pursuit.

“Officials were on site to verify all world record criteria was met — including review of Dewetron GPS measurements, which tracked the speed runs using an average of 15 satellites, and to confirm the new record,” the company’s release states.

Contact Interim Editor Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.

How historical storytelling is highlighting Tonopah attractions

Preserving history for generations to come while simultaneously boosting tourism – that’s the goal of Tonopah Main Street: Historical Storytelling, a project that’s using the digital age to promote all of the fascinating facts about the bygone days of Tonopah.

Bake sale rakes in $2k for splash pad shade

Pahrump Mother’s Corner is on a mission to see the town of Pahrump build a community splash pad but this group of local parents is doing more than just advocating for the project – they are actively raising money to assist with paying for what they all feel will be a crucial addition to it, a shade structure.

The Veterans Extravaganza – an information hub for former military

The 7th Annual Cles Saunders Memorial Veterans’ Extravaganza took place last week, giving former military service members a chance to learn all about the various resources the area has to offer.

Want to be the county clerk? Applications due March 13

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf announced his pending resignation last week and the Nye County Commission must now select someone to assume the soon-to-be-vacated office.

Older resident dies in fire

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services, along with the Nevada State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the exact cause of a structure fire that claimed the life of a man early Wednesday morning.

How has the town fared with Fall Festival? Here’s an overview

When the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce made the decision to divest itself of the Pahrump Fall Festival, the town of Pahrump stepped in to reassume the popular community event.