Plans for 1,000mph car unveiled

Plans for a supercar that will take the land speed record to more than 1,000mph have been unveiled. Scale models of the Bloodhound SSC will be displayed at the Science Museum in South Kensington, London. RAF pilot Andy Green, who broke the land speed record in 1997 when he reached 763mph in a jet-powered car, and Richard Noble OBE, who held the record between 1983 and 1997, are behind the project. The car will be 12.8m long, 6.4m wide, will weigh in at 6.4 tonnes and be powered by twin rockets delivering 20,000lbs and 27,000lbs of thrust each, giving a top speed of 1,050mph. Mr Noble, whose car Thrust2 travelled at 633.468mph, said: "We have held the world land speed record for the last 25 years and we still hold it. There is early competition developing and we have to defend our record." He said the project would tour schools across the UK in a bid to boost interest in engineering. Mr Noble added: "We are responding to a national need for a high technology programme to advance engineering capability in Britain. "We are confident Bloodhound SSC will stimulate a national interest in engineering technology in schools." The car will be put together at a specially-designed visitors centre over three years.

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ITN | October 23, 2008

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