The SSC entered an exclusive deal with supercar designer Jason Castriota to design two cars: the next-generation Ultimate Aero and a new model that slots below it.

The SSC Ultimate Aero is known for being one of the fastest road-legal cars in the world but many are saying that it needs to get updated. In an interview with the Tri-City Herald, SSC owner and founder Jerod Shelby said that what Castriota brings to the this car’s design is “monumental.” Shelby said that with Castriota’s involvement, SSC will achieve in one or two years what would have taken them 10 years to accomplish without the famed designer. Continued after the jump!

Headquartered in West Richland, Washington, SSC rose to fame for producing the Ultimate Aero supercar. In fact, this car is the holder of a Guinness World Record due to its 257-mph top speed. On the other hand, Castriota built his reputation for his work with Italian design shops Pininfarina and Bertone, where he helped design the Maserati Birdcage, the Ferrari P 4/5 by Pininfarina and the Bertone Mantide.

Shelby announced that Castriota will be the exclusive designer for the next two models. Castriota is slated to work with SSC for at least one year. Notably, these will be the first models to carry badges with his logo and name.

Castriota, who will be moving back and from his New York City home and SSC’s base in southern Washington state, will be wholly responsible for the aesthetics and aerodynamics of the carbonfiber body of the two cars. Castriota will be bringing with him some of the computer modeling experts who worked with him during his stint at Pininfarina. Meanwhile, Junus Kahn, SSC’s marketing director, commented that the company is aiming to develop a long-term relationship.

[via automobilemag]

Tags: car news, jason castriota, jason castriota ssc ultimate aero, next-generation ssc ultimate aero

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 12:36 am and is filed under 2010, 4wheels News, Body style, Categories, Coupe, Supercars, Worldwide, Year, Zone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.