300mph by year end?

[DoubleD]

TooMany2cvs said:

DoubleD said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Given that they're talking about moving to the salt flats, then let's not forget that the first time a wheel-driven, piston-engined car did 300mph on Bonneville was...

September 1935. Yep, 82 years ago.

Within four years, another 70mph had been found.

Obviously, there were minor political difficulties for a while, but once normal service was resumed, it wasn't long before it was a gnat's crotchet from 400mph. 70 years ago. Then people got a bit bored with pistons and driven wheels.

Hell, even without forced induction, it's over 50yrs since north of 400mph was ticked off.

Were they road cars?

I saw three Koenigseggs in traffic, just this morning...

Yeah, you see a few in London.

So were those old records done by road cars?

[Byker28i]

RDMcG said:

HorneyMX5 said:

I’m sure this place used to have a strap line of “Speed Matters”.

Its now "speed mattered"

Speed Matters, those fines pay for your services... or something

[Byker28i]

The limitation on the Veyron was always about the tyres. The Bloodhound has solid wheels because of this. If nothing else then pushing tyre technology is good.

[Equus]

DoubleD said:

So were those old records done by road cars?

Probably clocked up more road mileage than many Koenigseggseggseggs....

[TooMany2cvs]

Equus said:

DoubleD said:

So were those old records done by road cars?

Probably clocked up more road mileage than many Koenigseggseggseggs....

It's amazing what you find bimbling round little Herefordshire towns in 2016...

It wasn't running terribly well, and they didn't even bother trying the corners...

But in 2017...

That Fiat was something bloody awesome.

[so called]

Equus said:

Meh.

Some bloke called Campbell did it 83 years ago, and it bore about as much relevance to daily driving back then as it would now.

My dad worked on a couple of the Bluebird projects on the design side.
On Campbell crashing the Bluebird CN7 back in 1960, I quote my father as saying, "That bloke is a bloody idiot".

[TooMany2cvs]

so called said:

On Campbell crashing the Bluebird CN7 back in 1960, I quote my father as saying, "That bloke is a bloody idiot".

If he wasn't, they wouldn't have existed in the first place.

[Equus]

London; Replica of Bluebird in her Napier engined form (she was re-engined with a RR R-type for the 300mph record, but essentially the same chassis).

Note the road registration number painted on the front

[Equus]

so called said:

My dad worked on a couple of the Bluebird projects on the design side.

He worked for (or was one of?) the Norris brothers?

[Gameface]

Berkshire bred said:

Money would be better spent making an obtainable sports car. 40k or less straight or v6 2 seats between 250 and 400 hp.

fking hell. That old chestnut!

[98elise]

DoubleD said:

Plug Life said:

AmosMoses said:

Will we see this by the end of 2018? I bloody hope so!

Why?

Because pistonheads is a site for petrol heads, many of whom like watching cars go very quickly.

Massive top speed is nothing to get excited about though. Cars can already do it, and a road legal car will have hardly anywhere it could be done sensibly. My cars can all do way higher speeds than I would do on a public road.

[Gameface]

Some of the posters on here are seriously lacking ambition or a sense of adventure.

[so called]

Equus said:

so called said:

My dad worked on a couple of the Bluebird projects on the design side.

He worked for (or was one of?) the Norris brothers?

Not a Norris Brother but on the design team. I don't know which company it was back then and, unfortunately, my Dads not around anymore to ask.

[kambites]

98elise said:

Massive top speed is nothing to get excited about though.

As a driving enthusiast I agree, but as an engineering enthusiast I think it's quite interesting.

[IforB]

Gameface said:

Some of the posters on here are seriously lacking ambition or a sense of adventure.

Agreed. There appear to be an awful lot of fun sponges on here.

I cannot believe on a site purportedly filled with people who like cars and driving, when someone states they are going to make a production car hit 300 mph, people are criticising the idea.

What is wrong with you all? How is this in anyway a bad thing?

Irrelevant? Yes of course. Silly? Undoubtedly. Cool? Yes!

300mph is silly fast in any car, be it a landspeed record chaser or not, let alone something that you can actually buy. (Albeit only if you are somewhat well off.)

[M666 EVO]

Gameface said:

Some of the posters on here are seriously lacking ambition or a sense of adventure.

I was thinking that. Put down the Daily Mail chaps. This is a move forward for technology. See the bigger picture.

Anyway if Knight Rider was cracking 300MPH all those years ago, how long until we get talking, self driving cars............ oh

[TooMany2cvs]

M666 EVO said:

This is a move forward for technology.

Umm, how is gaining 15mph by changing the gearing slightly and remapping the rev limiter "a move forward for technology"?

[so called]

TooMany2cvs said:

so called said:

On Campbell crashing the Bluebird CN7 back in 1960, I quote my father as saying, "That bloke is a bloody idiot".

If he wasn't, they wouldn't have existed in the first place.

Very true in the sense of 'daring do', etc.

My fathers comment was when referring to the black oil line that was laid on the salt flats for Campbell to follow on his run.
Campbell set off with one side of the cars wheels, left or right I cant remember, right on the oil.
As the speed picked up, the friction differential of the wheels on the surface started to contribute to the car beginning a long arc in its not so straight run. At 360mph the lateral forces overcame the stability and flipped the car which tumbled for, again my dads words, "a bloody mile".

I could translate his original word "idiot" into today's "knob head" and I'm pretty sure that would reflect my dads opinion.

We had a small piece of the crashed Bluebird at home but when he passed away and we cleared his house, I never found it.

[Rawwr]

It's an interesting subject because it's a big milestone. There doesn't need to be any value in that milestone but for a road car to be able to break the 300mph barrier, it's going to be important and memorable. I'm sure most people on here can name the first production road car to break the 200mph barrier without thinking.

[TooMany2cvs]

Rawwr said:

It's an interesting subject because it's a big milestone. There doesn't need to be any value in that milestone but for a road car to be able to break the 300mph barrier, it's going to be important and memorable.

It's going to be "important and memorable" in precisely two countries in the world. 310mph is going to be far more "important and memorable" in every other country.

How "important and memorable"? Well, which was the first "production road car" to 200mph? 250mph? 300kph? 400kph?<shrug>