World speed record latest
The nine-metre long engineering marvel is undergoing its final tests before being flown to the US for the record attempt at the Bonneville salt flats - and Auto Trader's Alex Eckford was there to witness history in the making… It's a blisteringly hot day at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire. Air-conditioning is currency. When I arrive at the airfield a 27-strong crew of engineers are putting the finishing touches to the diesel car they hope will go down in history as the first to top 300mph. The team will have to beat the previous holder of the diesel land speed record - the 272mph It's hot, but not as hot as the Bonneville Salt Flats in The reflective surface of the salt flats means the team will have to put suncream inside their noses.
And the JCB have a secret weapon - supersonic car ThrustSSC driver Wing Commander Andy Green. Andy hit the headlines in 1997 as the driver of Thrust SSC - the first and only car to break the sound barrier. Today Andy is the acting base commander at Wittering, and looks pretty pleased with himself. And this is a man who flies jets for a living. "I've got the best holiday job in the world," he says. "Most people never get to see a car like this - and I get to drive it," he says, motioning to the javelin shaped car sitting in the marquee behind him. Sir Richard Noble, the driving force behind ThrustSSC helped get the project off (or rather on) the ground – suggesting the car should have two engines. Noble's involvement also helped secure many of the Dieselmax's backers. One thing becomes clear - testing sessions are a lot like being on tour with a band. There's hours of waiting around, followed by adrenaline-filled periods of excitement.
The team have decided to perform the test run towards the end of the runaway with 2,000 feet of grass as a safety measure. A wise choice – at the other end of the runway is a short slope down to the A1, and an inevitable speeding ticket. The car accelerates to its target speed - 100mph – then, with the help of a parachute, slows to a halt at the end of the runway. (You may be wondering where the other 200mph of speed will be coming from - there's plenty of work to be done on the engine between now and August.) The car is guided back into the marquee, and the technicians huddle together to examine the results. The speed reached is faster than they'd hoped for - 110mph - but it's not fast enough for some. "Again! More! Faster!" says Green as he returns to the command centre. Valves are tweaked, nuts tightened and the car is pushed out for its second and final run of the day. This time the team are more slick - it's only the second time the bodywork has been placed on the car – and the whole process takes less than five minutes. The speed results are back - and it's good news. The car reached 126.9 mph - far beyond the team's expectations. As the press make their way home the team are in high spirits. One of the team tells me they've been ten days behind schedule in recent weeks - but days like today have helped them claw that time back. World record? Bring it on. Internet links Auto Trader is not responsible for the content of external internet sites |
To fill in the time while the team are readying their speed machine, the assembled press are treated (in an air-conditioned building) to talks by members of the technical team.
After a few false starts the car is pushed out onto the track and the carbon-fibre bodywork carefully fitted. One of the most bizarre sights of the day is a hulking great JCB tractor pushing the Dieselmax to a rolling start. Even though both engines are fitted with specially-designed filters, the car belches out a fair amount of smoke.Page 1
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