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1000-mph Car Planned

Posted by kdawson on from the zum-zum dept.

Smivs notes a BBC report on a British team planning a 1000-mph record-breaking car. The previous land-speed record broke the sound barrier. The proposed vehicle will get from 0 to 1,050 mph in 40 seconds. "RAF pilot Andy Green made history in 1997 when he drove the Thrust SSC jet-powered vehicle at 763 mph (1,228 km/h). Now he intends to get behind the wheel of a car that is capable of reaching 1,000 mph (1,610 km/h). Known as Bloodhound, the new car will be powered by a rocket bolted to a Typhoon-Eurofighter jet engine. The team-members have been working on the concept for the past 18 months and expect to be ready to make their new record attempt in 2011."

21 of 380 comments (clear)

  1. The real question... by xcog · · Score: 5, Funny

    How many MPG will it get? And where can I dock my iPod?

    1. Re:The real question... by innit · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, if Britain was 11 miles long.

    2. Re:The real question... by sqldr · · Score: 4, Funny

      Having cycled from Lands End to John o' Groats twice, I can tell you that the shortest route from the two most distant points on great britain are 857 miles apart. The route we took was 1050. Based on this, by the time he hits 1050 mph, he would barely be out of cornwall. Then again, it's quite mountainous around there, so he would probably be quite high in the air by that point.

      --
      I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
  2. I wonder ... by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wonder how many stars it will score on the crash test ...

    --
    Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
  3. To the moon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wonder how many stars it will score on the crash test ...

    I wonder how many stars it will PASS on the crash test ;)

  4. Splat by FrostedWheat · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd hate to be a bug on that windscreen. Ooch.

  5. Re:thats a big splat by drerwk · · Score: 3, Funny

    the last person i heard of strapping a rocket to a car to see how fast they could go ended up driving into a mountain because he couldnt stop

    The intention was not to stop, but an actual test of the Overthruster.

    and this was in the salt flats of utah (at least thats where he started, clearly it wasnt so flat where he ended up)

    Certainly the 8th dimension would not be described as flat!

  6. Sponsors? by speroni · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is this an ACME funded project?

    ACME

    --
    Eschew Obfuscation
    1. Re:Sponsors? by ParanoiaBOTS · · Score: 2, Funny

      Acme...we strap rockets to everything!

  7. The video... by PearsSoap · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Are you telling me I can dodge bullets?"
    "When you're ready, you'll be able to outdrive them."

  8. Jeremy Clarkson: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hamster! You want to try it out ?

  9. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by spideysense · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, and I bet the Dodge Neon you strap those rockets to hold up real good at 1000mph. It takes some engineering to withstand those kind of forces without blowing the car and the driver into tiny pieces. But please give me a call when you try your little experiment - I'd love to watch.

  10. We all know it was by rmallico · · Score: 2, Funny

    Buckaroo Bonzai... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNJ1z-ulB4&feature=related

    --
    sig goes here!
  11. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by Sockatume · · Score: 3, Funny

    To misremember the words of some journalist covering the Thrust SSC: while getting to the sound barrier in a vehicle with wheels is easy, doing so without inadvertently turning your car into a new kind of aircraft or tunneling machine is rather more difficult.

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    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  12. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by snspdaarf · · Score: 2, Funny

    I makes no sense....

    Your words, not mine, but I agree.

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
  13. Re:1000 mph speed, 100 gallons per mile efficiency by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 2, Funny

    A land vehicule designed for the transportation of people, with a motor specced for activating the circular motion through a drive shaft of two (or more) wheels. Preferably with speed limitations that allow for surviving a turn higher than 10 degrees or hitting a pebble smaller than a cheerios.

  14. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by 2names · · Score: 3, Funny

    Besides we might just learn something

    Yes, we might just learn if Fruit of the Looms can withstand the force of a 1000 MPH "Oh SHIT!" moment.

    --
    "I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
  15. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by Gilmoure · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe someone could figure out how to use the force of the air rushing past the car to help support it or even totally suspend it so one wouldn't have to use wheels at all. That would be cool!

    --
    I drank what? -- Socrates
  16. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Maybe someone could figure out how to use the force of the air rushing past the car to help support it or even totally suspend it so one wouldn't have to use wheels at all

    You mean the vehicle would kind of plane through the air? Awesome idea! But what would we call such a vehicle?

  17. Re:Speedo? by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where do you get a speedo that goes up to 1000 mph?

    Michael Phelps.

  18. Re:MPG is an obsolete measurement by rtfa-troll · · Score: 2, Funny

    The whooosh you hear is the sound of the car going over your head.

    --
    =~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();