A suitable thermomechanical process, different from the Rockwell route, before the superplastic deformation together with the utilisation of a ‘two step strain rate’ during the superplastic deformation has been employed to evaluate the total percentage elongation in a high strength Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Zr alloy containing Sc. It is shown that the utilisation of a two step strain rate under appropriate combinations of temperature and strain rate results in superior values of elongations.