What's the REAL speed record?

[user D]

I know that when he crashed the Vampire dragster Richard Hammond was trying to break the UK land speed record, but that was in a jet. Now I personally don't think jets are real cars so what I want to know is this; What's the UK land speed record in a wheel-driven, petrol-powered car? I guess it's something like an Ultima or McLaren doing 250+, or maybe a Formula 1 stunt, but all I find when I search online is jet-powered-wingless-planes!

[FourWheelDrift]

Probably have to go a long way back for an official flying mile in both directions UK record for a wheel driven car. Plus not too many places with long enough runways or roads to attempt it.

Officially it might be this - www.schumacher-fanclub.com/index.html?target=p_2227.html&lang=en-us

Robert Horne- Ferrari 512M - average 191.64 mph - 1977 - RAF Fairford.

(Ok people have claimed to have gone faster I'm sure but this is the officially sanctioned time over a flying mile in both directions within the specified turnaround time record for a wheel driven car)

[trevorh]

Have a read through this www.peterrenn.clara.net/l.s.r.html

[FourWheelDrift]

trevorh said:

Have a read through this www.peterrenn.clara.net/l.s.r.html

That's a World Land Speed Record page not really a UK LSR, since the fastest UK based time listed is the 1927 Bluebird of Sire Malcolm Campbell done at Pendine Sands at 174.883mph, all the rest are done overseas

[John_S4x4]

Just to mention that PHer MADROD has cracked over 200mph in his cossie. There is also Keith Cowie and Rocket Ronnie in there skylines. We also have PHer redvictor going very quickly, but over a shorter distance.
Doing so reasearch though, brings up this :-

"One year after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot on the moon in 1969, Tony Densham set a new British Land Speed Record of just over 260 mph over the flying kilometer in his famous nitro guzzling V8 engined dragster Commuter. Even more amazing to contemplate is the idea that a hastily modified dragster could wrest the British record from Sir Malcolm Campbell’s purpose-built Bluebird – and then retain it for some 30-plus years, but that it did."

www.bluebird-electric.net/british_land_speed_record.htm

Edited by John_S4x4 on Friday 29th September 19:56

[FourWheelDrift]

John_S4x4 said:

Just to mention that PHer MADROD has cracked over 200mph in his cossie.

Means nothing I'm afraid in terms of the question posted. The LSR is the average speed over a measured mile in two directions.

[thunderbelmont]

The problem these days is finding somewhere long enough, straight and smooth enough to do it in this country.

There are probably enough bits of un-opened bits of new road, but it would be a case of getting approval to do it, which is where you would probably stand more chance of catching leperosy

Rob.

[jon c]

Whilst not a two way flying mile record, Urs Erbacher ran 318 mph in his top fuel dragster at Santa Pod recently, and I believe this may well be the fastest officially recorded wheel driven speed in the UK, though obviously not a LSR.

[AlexS]

Was the Hamster just going for the fastest recorded speed in the UK or the actual record? Elvington isn't long enough to allow for acceleration, speed measured over a mile and then slowing down again.

[ewenm]

I heard he was just trying to go faster than the British record, but not set a new one. So just a run in one direction.