The title of 'fastest production car' has changed hands several times over the past few years. The Shelby SuperCars 258mph Ultimate Aero held the record until 2010 until the 267mph Bugatti Veyron Super Sport came out and shattered the record. Shelby SuperCars is now set to take back the prestigious title with their new 275mph Tuatara. The exotic name was inspired by the Maori word for a New Zealand lizard.

The indigenous Maori share the island with the Tuatara Lizard, who, according to science has the fastest evolving DNA in the world. SSC believes their new speed demon fits the mold perfectly. "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. 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," said Jerod Shelby, founder of SSC.

The rear-wheel-drive Tuatara is a true combination of beauty and beast. The twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 engine can churn out as much as 1,350hp. It also features a 7-speed manual transmission.

Rumored top speed is at 275mph though some reports have the Tuatara going up a few notches on the speedometer. The new supercar will sport a body composed entirely of carbon fiber that's wrapped around a carbon fiber chassis. With the Bugatti Veyron already out of production, it looks as if the Tuatara will be a worthy successor to the world's fastest production car (or at least until Bugatti comes back with another supercar to challenge the record.) Photos displayed are of the 2010 SSC Tuatara supercar concept