The current land-speed record is held by Andy Green, who drove a car called the Thrust SSC (Supersonic Car). It was achieved in 1997, and the car reached a speed of 763 mph, or 1,227 kph. According to Business Insider, though, the Bloodhound team in England hopes to surpass that record by a substantial margin with their new Bloodhound SSC, which may become the world’s fastest rocket car. The Bloodhound SSC is hoped to surpass Mach 1.3, or 1,000 mph, when it will be tested sometime in 2017.
Adding 237 mph to the current record is a daunting task. Most consumer-grade cars rarely even go the intended increase. To put the speed into perspective, imagine driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in about 15 minutes.
Check Out: The Five Fastest Cars
The Bloodhound SSC is no mere hobby. Engineers in Bristol, UK have been working on this car for over a decade, and have constructed an entire educational curriculum over the its production. It is modeled after a fighter jet, and uses an equally large engine.
Come back in 2017, and we’ll see if the Bloodhound manages to go Mach 1.3. Until then, the Thrust can rest on its laurels.
Business Insider
Header Image: Business Insider
Witney Seibold is a contributor to the CraveOnline Film Channel, and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. You can follow him on “Twitter” at @WitneySeibold, where he is slowly losing his mind.
