It seems French supercar maker Bugatti (well, it is owned by VW so that’s a bit questionable) are in a Supercar Cold War pit against American supercar maker Shelby SuperCars. After the Bugatti Veyron claimed the title of World’s Fastest Production Car in 2005, SSC snatched the belt with its Ultimate Aero. Bugatti of course responded with its updated Veyron Super Sport, and now SSC is chaffing at the bit to trump reclaim the checkered tiara. And with what vehicle does SSC plan on defeating the $1.6 million Veyron Super Sport? Why, the cleverly titled SSC Ultimate Aero II seen above — a supercar so ridiculous the numbers don’t even make sense. While the Bugatti uses a W16 engine, which is essentially two V8s combined (along with 4 turbos and 10 radiators to keep all that combustion cool), the SSC Ultimate Aero II will rely simply on a V8. The numbers that V8 is delivering, however, are astronomical. SSC is claiming its Ultimate Aero II will explode with 1350 horsepower, catapulting the vehicle to a brain-warping top speed of around 275 mph which is just lunacy. Of course this is all talk until the first videos are released, but if the numbers are anywhere close to being accurate it will be a landmark in automotive history. Of course you’ll have to pay a hefty price for that mark, around $970,000 — but that’s still a bargain when compared to its French poodle nemesis’ pricetag.

More images of the SSC Ultimate Aero II after the Jump…