Fifth Gear 5FWD: Shelby names new supercar Tuatara

Mr. Nice

Mr. Nice

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
2,556
Shelby names new supercar Tuatara

1310997608_size_9.jpeg


Shelby Supercars has announced its new creation, and successor to the SSC Aero, will be called the Tuatara.

SSC has pre-empted confusion over how to say the strange name by explaining it is pronounced ?twu-tar-ah?.

There are few other precise details about the new car just yet, although the American company has confirmed the Tuatara is set to contain a mammoth 7.0-litre twin-turbo engine that is capable of producing as much as 1,331bhp.

It will also contain a seven-speed paddle-shift gearbox, and use a carbon-fibre cab and one-piece carbon fibre wheels.

The name is said to be inspired by a modern-day New Zealand reptile that bears the same name. The translation of the name, which comes from the Maori language, is ''peaks on the back'' and is related to the winglets on the Tuatara?s back.

''Most manufacturers essentially use the same basic model and body shape for up to 10 years, while only making small refinements to it each year,'' said Jerod Shelby, founder and owner of SSC.

''After only three years in production with the Ultimate Aero, SSC?s Tuatara is about to monumentally evolve in the areas of sophistication, design, aerodynamics and shear all-around performance. We felt that the fastest evolving DNA was a perfect definition of SSC?s latest project.''
Click to expand...

Full Article
 
For reference:

Tuatara_Sphenodon_punctatus_standing_proud.jpg

Name is a bit tricky to pronounce, but I will give it some leeway since it is one of the coolest looking cars I've ever seen. Great successor to the kit-car-looking Ultimate Aero I think.

Tuatara-2.jpg

vs

ssc-ultimate-aero.jpg

edit: From mr Shelby himself:

 
Last edited:
Twat hurrah? :dunno:
 
That car is just so sexy. It's just so wild and different, can't wait to see it up and running.
 
Twa--what?!

Whoever thought of that name clearly didn't take into account a certain offensive name for a part of the female anatomy...
 
So Twatara, huh? Somebody must have suggested that while holding the worst poker face.
 
Said ballsack reminds me of the Gonarch from Half-Life.
 
As bad as Pagani naming their new car after the black woman from Star Trek.

attn: vowels do not make a car go faster.
 
Can't... they tune the engine for 6 more peak hp?
 
They can just retest it on a slightly colder day. Hopefully whoever buys one can get the "1337HP" license plate in whatever state they live in.
 
So they saw the Pagani Huaruarugharaurgh and thought, we must compete with an equally ridiculous name but with added opportunity for rudeness.

Looks better than that skip-bin-special Ultimate Aero though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top