Bugatti is used to having manufacturers trying to beat the Veyron’s top speed, but the 1 832 kW Dagger GT, built by TranStar Racing, plans to decimate the Veyron Super Sport’s record by being the first production car to go beyond 480 km/h.
Based closely on drag racing technology, the latest update to the prototype is a new aluminium chassis, which replaces the steel one, and has been adopted in an effort to bring the weight down.
The Dagger GT is powered by a 9.4-litre twin-turbo made by big engine specialists Nelson Racing Engines, which produces either 1 470 kW (in base trim!) or 1 832 kW. Both meet the US’s main environmental regulations, but not those in California (the world’s strictest), so the firm has just announced a new 7.0-litre supercharged engine with a mere 615 kW.
If you want to experience the full 1 832 kW, you’ll have to fill the car with a racing fuel mix – fill up with regular octane at your local garage and you’ll only get a measly 1 250 kW.
The performance claims are suitably astonishing. The Bugatti Veyron completes the quarter mile in around 10.5 seconds at 224 km/h. TranStar claims the Dagger GT will do it in just 6.6 seconds at 326 km/h. The team believes, and intends to prove at Bonneville, that it will carry on to a top speed of 502.4 km/h.
Ultimately, the Dagger GT promises to be a drag car for the road. It’s manufacturer, TranStar, recommends: “if you want to go 480 km/h, you should, at a minimum, purchase all the safety options available…There are some very good aerodynamic reasons the so-called supercars have not broken 480 km/h. This is the danger zone and you must take precautions before attempting these speeds.”
via Evo
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