alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

They did that to me in my 1950 Buick, just to see why a young whippersnapper was driving such a luxury car.

black mamba

Don't feel bad about that, Papa. I wasn't aware of the car either.

black mamba

It was the second day after I got the 1977 Ferrari 308 GTB. A Florida State highway patrolman pulls me over.. He walks up to the door and says " Don't panic I just want to see this car ", I remember being more relieved than pissed off.

Bfree2 Loc: Grants Pass, Or

I just don’t know. Back in the day when a new model supercar surfaced it would not take (at least for me) long to have it to memory of how it looked. Ie: a Hennessy, vs Saleen, vs Ferrari, vs . . . They each had its own character that stood them out. Now? First look is another one? They all look too much alike. I’ve been around “supercars” for almost as long as I can remember. To me now there’s not enough character between them. The price tag? …. I access rare and exotic insurance claims for a living, check the price again in a couple years. (Just my two cents, oh and don’t tell my cattle that my truck has leather seats)

Ed Commons

That happened frequently. Back in High Schools (the 60's showing my age) we drove up and down main street to see and be seen and show off our cars. (American Graffittti before it's time. Often cops would pull us over to look at our cars. (not for drugs or alcohol) but to see the engine and other customizing we did (I had a 59 Ford Starliner)

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

I think you''re dead on right with this comment, Tom. It certainly is form follows function and in that regard, it's quite impressive. But it's not a street car. I'd be scared to death to step on the gas in traffic with a car that's worth $1.6M with 1750 HP. Basically, you park it in your driveway, or car show and tell people it's the fastest car in the world. BTW, I didn't see where the parachute mounts to stop this beast.

RoswellAlien

Do do I!

Dan' de Bourgogne

Very well captured!
The problem is the size of the barn where one need to store all the grass food for over 1000 horses!

black mamba

Thank you very much.

Well, you've got a point there. I'm going to have to sell the car...I can't afford to feed 1000 horses.

Tom

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

One thing I've learned from commenting on your posts, Tom is to read all the comments first because there are so many good comments that shed a lot of light on the subject. I've read all the comments and they are all about the car. I'd like to say Kudos to Jarod Shelby because he alone, among his monied contemporaries is the only one to have the capacity and the capabilities to design and build this car too.

black mamba

I'm an open admirer of what Shelby has accomplished. He had a vision, the technical expertise, and the necessary business acumen to produce the Tuatara car. But he was certainly not a one-man show. I think your assessment that he alone could have pulled this caper off might be a little too enthusiastic.

Bugatti, owned by the joint venture between the Rimac Group and Porsche AG could surely have produced a car with the same capabilities. One of their standard production cars, the Bugatti Chiron, runs very close to 300 MPH, yet is also deemed to comfortably function as a street car, which grandma could tool around in if she so desired. That's hardly a function that the Tuatara can accommodate. Bugatti is nearing the release of the Chiron Super Sport model which will easily run in excess of 300 MPH...at a staggering sales price of almost $4,000,000.

Both Bugatti and SSC ( Shelby's company ) are groups. One is much bigger than the other, but neither is a one man show. Bugatti has to keep their cars as multi-functional vehicles while SSC doesn't feel the pinch of such restraints.

As I said, I greatly admire Shelby and what he has done. But really, he hasn't done what others couldn't do if they were equally motivated.

singleshot Loc: Georgia

I am old and I am traditional, I love old traditinal things, pre 1960's airplanes and cars among others. I am not, however, so old nor traditional that I can't see the beauty in that bad boy. His photos are great.

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

Agree with everything you said Tom. I didn't think he did it himself, but he was the one with the vision and the desire to get it done and the contacts to find and hire the right people. On the down side, it's a rather esoteric vision, bragging rights to the fastest car in the world you can park in your garage 99% of the time. Doesn't change the fact that it certainly draws the attention of a lot of people. Hope you keep up these posts, they're a lot of fun to look at and waggle your tongue about.

black mamba

Thanks for stopping y and commenting.

Tom

black mamba

Reuss, I think you very succinctly pointed out one of the core benefits of this forum...posts that can generate tongue waggling. Posts that promote such a phenomenon to arise create a learning environment. I personally benefit greatly
from being involved.

See you.