Tuatara Intake System

SSC North America has dedicated nearly a decade of research and development towards the SSC Tuatara. In the process, the engineering and design of numerous groundbreaking automotive subassemblies has brought forth new capabilities in the performance of the next generation hypercar.

The custom intake system, proprietary to the Tuatara, lends the powerplant the ability to perform in extreme conditions. Cooler air into the engine's intake means a more densely oxygenated air charge that ultimately results in higher horsepower. With record speeds, track performance, and daily driveability in mind, the intake was a pivotal assembly to design around, ensuring optimal intake air temperatures and responsive control over the power of the engine. A key feature to meet these demands is dual heat exchangers, independently dedicated to water and air cooling systems. This allows air intake at cooler temperatures, assuring 1750 horsepower in extended full throttle situations for track and top speed driving, or leisure driving in hot weather, stop-and-go environments. Furthermore, dual throttle bodies provide advantageous throttle resolution, taking full benefit of the unprecedented power and sub-100 millisecond track shifting at the disposal of the driver. Extensive development and testing went into the shape and the length of the intake runner design, as well as the precise positioning of the 16 injectors (8 primary and 8 secondary) to fine tune the powerband and acceleration.

The exceptional capabilities and artistic design of the Tuatara’s intake system is the product of two decades of high-performance experience at SSC in pursuit of creating a compact, powerful powerplant that redefines the American hypercar. An extensive collaboration with Nelson Racing Engines and Linder Power Systems ensured the highest degree of innovation, performance, and success.