Is the Lotus Evija Going to be Faster Than the SSC Tuatara?

The world has spent the past few days congratulating SSC North America for their world record for production car top speed. But will the Lotus Evija make this a short-lived victory?

For context, both of these machines make 4-digit horsepower numbers. The SSC Tuatara makes 1,750 and the Lotus Evija makes over 1,973. Both of these hypercars accelerate with around 10 times the force most modern cars will ever see.

The Tuatara’s verified 316 mph average top speed is an awesome achievement and a nice blip of fun in a year that’s been stressful for enthusiasts and manufacturers alike. The thought of the race for higher top speeds heating up again is also an exciting prospect.

While Lotus doesn’t make any outright claims of ultra-high top speed or any plans for a record attempt, a number of factors might work in the British supercar company’s favor.

First, given the Tuatara’s successful run on some updated form of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, it’s likely that other tire companies may have seen breakthroughs as well. Pirelli, which supplies the tires visible in Lotus’s press renders, certainly may have developed a high-speed tire compound of their own.

Also, while the Lotus Evija weighs about 1,000 pounds more than the 2750-pound SSC Tuatara, weight doesn’t affect top speed. Heck, a Bugatti Chiron weighs 4,400 pounds and it held the world record for top speed in a production car.

Rather than weight, aerodynamics are the primary factor affecting top speed. The Evija is a highly aero-focused car, much like the Tuatara and Koenigsegg’s Jesko Absolut that’s also chasing the world record.

Like, look! The Evija even channels air through its taillights. The aerodynamic packaging benefits of electric cars are substantial.

It would be great for an electric car like the Evija to be the next top speed record holder. If we see more record attempts this year, the car industry may get to look back on 2020 with more enthusiasm than anyone might have guessed. Either way, it’s a great time to be a car enthusiast, now more than ever.

What do you think of the SSC Tuatara? Who do you think will hold the next top speed record? Head over to @revupdate on Instagram and let us know!