Bloodhound Revealed! But Will It Break the Land Speed Record?

With a hybrid rocket Rolls-Royce Eurofighter-Typhoon engine that kicks in at 200 mph, a jet plane aesthetic and acceleration that hits the three G mark, the Bloodhound Supersonic Car (SSC) is one hell of a ride. It leaves shockwaves in its wake, can go from zero to 1000 mph in just 55 seconds and can complete a single mile in a lighting fast 3.6 seconds. It can stop almost as fast as it gets going, with high tech brakes that bring it to a total standstill within 65 seconds.

Brits indulge a need for speed

The vehicle was dreamt up by a team of rev head Brits who are determined not just to break the world record, but to smash it entirely. It’s taken eight years to get the car to the final stages of development and now, it’s living up to the hype. Earlier this week the Bloodhound SSC was unveiled at London’s Canary Wharf, with the public finally getting a glimpse of the 95% complete machine.

Andy Green has been named as the car’s sole driver. If he’s successful in getting the car up to its top speed he’ll take the crown as the fastest human on land.

At present the top land speed record sits at 760 mph. Green clearly has a need for speed as he also set this record back in 1997 in the ThrustSSC vehicle when he sped across Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

Bloodhound hot on the heels of a new record

It was a colossal feat however in 2007, the fresh new Bloodhound SSC team decided it wasn’t enough. They set their sights on breaking the 1,000 mph barrier and now, they’re on the verge of turning their dream into one seriously supercharged reality.

“We started eight years ago with a simple question: can it be done?” says Dr. Ben Evans, a lecturer in aerospace engineering at Swansea University and the aerodynamicist on the design team for Bloodhound SSC. “We spent a year doing research and development, and running simulations. When we found it was possible to take a vehicle this size to 1,000 mph on the Earth and keep it on the ground, we started the design process. Over the last seven years, we have evolved the car.”

The finished product is quite the presence, measuring 44.3 feet in length and 2.5 metres in width. Its jet and rocket motors produce an eye watering 135,000 thrust horsepower which see the wheels spin at 10,200 rpm when at top speed.

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Discover more about the Bloodhound.