Steam-Powered Car Breaks Century-Old Speed Record

mcgrew writes "New Scientist reports that a steam-powered car has broken the 1906 record of 204 km/hr (127 mph) for the fastest steam-powered automobile, the Stanley Steamer. The Inspiration made a top speed of 225 kilometres per hour (140 miles per hour) on August 26. 'The car's engine burns liquid petroleum gas to heat water in 12 suitcase-sized boilers, creating steam heated to 400C. The steam then drives a two-stage turbine that spins at 13,000 revolutions per minute to power its wheels.The FIA requires two 1.6-km-long runs to be performed in opposite directions — to cancel out any effect from wind — within 60 minutes.'"

Comments

Check that off the obscure to-do list

[swanzilla]

Next up...ridiculously large front-wheeled bicycle speed record.

Re:Check that off the obscure to-do list

[owlnation]

Wonder what the record is for the fastest cockroach?

What do you mean? An African or European cockroach?

Slow down..

[pablo_max]

Slow Down you damn Steam Punks! And stay the hell off my lawn.

Stanley Steamer?

[brkello]

Stanley Steamer...you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. *shudder*

Re:All oficial times

[ae1294]

Is there really anything scientific or technological that we cant do vastly better now that 1906? Its like the captain of the senior football team boasting about stealing lunch money from a 7th grader.

In the US? yeah I'd say we can't do 7th grade math any better without using some sort of damn dirty machine...

hybrid

[Eil]

'The car's engine burns liquid petroleum gas to heat water in 12 suitcase-sized boilers, creating steam heated to 400C. The steam then drives a two-stage turbine that spins at 13,000 revolutions per minute to power its wheels.

Cool, a hybrid! Where can I get the government coupon to purchase one?

Yeah, sure it can run fast

[reboot246]

but can it get my carpets clean any faster?

Re:"Smashed"? It takes 103 years to go 13 mph fast

[Anonymous Coward]

... But, speaking of acceleration, how does the Pinto do going from 60mph to 0?

Doesn't that depend on how solid the wall that it hits is?

Re:Very Optimisitic Speedo.

[Chris Mattern]

I was tempted to put up a picture link for "very optimistic speedo" but on second thought, I'm afraid of what Google might turn up.

Re:Check that off the obscure trivia (what isn't?)

[aqk]

It was called the "Penny-Farthing" because of the ridiculous small wheel and the ridiculous large wheel. The big wheel had no gearing AFAIK, so you had to REALLY lay on the leg-muscles. Now.. lesseee.. I'm not a Brit so which was the "Penny"? I seem to remember UK pennies as bieng quite large and HEAVY! I remember being in London during the 1960s, and the only place that would take my damn pocketful of pennies (my pants were about to fall down) was a slot-machine arcade. Now, presumably all road bicycles are known as Euro-Euros.

I guess the usual reason...

[wisdom_brewing]

... support of the porn industry