A group of designers has unveiled the Bloodhound Super-Sonic Car, a
new vehicle that they hope will be able to break the land speed record
and travel at speeds of up to 1,000mph. The car, which is now on display
at Canary Wharf in London, will begin its first trial runs next year in
South Africa.
The Bloodhound has taken eight years to research
and develop with overall costs of some $86
million. It will contain
three large rocket thrusters from a Eurofighter-Typhoon fighter jet to
make sure it can get up to the necessary speed to break the record,
while it also has specially designed aluminium wheels that can withstand
the huge forces and heat generated by the vehicle.
After
completing tests on airport runways in Cornwall, the team will take the
car to South Africa so that it can drive on the playa lakebed of
Hakskeen Pan. This location has been chosen because of its smooth
surface and the fact that there are no obstacles for countless miles in
every direction. The team will then attempt to break the record before
slowly building up to a speed of 1,000mph in 2017.
