Do YOU have a need for speed? Search is underway for a driver to get behind the wheel of a supersonic car capable of travelling at 800mph – so, do you have what it takes?
- The Bloodhound supersonic car will attempt to break the land speed record
- But it needs a new driver – do you have what it takes to get behind the wheel?
Whether it’s skydiving or bungee jumping, many people get a kick out of adrenaline-inducing hobbies.
But these activities pale in comparison to a ride in this supersonic car, which can travel at dizzying speeds of up to 800mph.
Now, the team behind the Bloodhound car is searching for a new driver who’s brave enough to get behind the wheel.
‘This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will attract passionate and skilled individuals who are ready to push the boundaries of speed and become part of history, as they pilot the fastest car on Earth,’ Bloodhound said.
However, there’s a catch – to apply, you’ll need to have a major sponsorship deal behind you.
The team behind the Bloodhound car is searching for a new driver who’s brave enough to get behind the wheel
The Bloodhound car
Length: 44 feet
Weight: 7.5 tons
Height: 9ft 2in
Speed: 800mph
Engine: Rolls-Royce EJ200 engine used in Eurofighter Typhoon jets
Wheels: 95kg aluminium wheels rotating at 10,200rpm at full speed
Temperature: 5,432F (3,000C)
The Bloodhound car has been built to reach up to 800mph – a speed that would theoretically allow it to reach Aberdeen from London in less than 30 minutes.
It’s powered by a Rolls-Royce EJ200 Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine and a rocket engine from a provider that’s worked with the European Space Agency.
It also features solid aluminium wheels designed to withstand the stresses of travelling at supersonic speeds – the speed of sound.
The overarching goal is to beat the current world land speed record (LSR) of 763.035mph, which was set over 20 years ago.
Back in 2019, the car reached speeds of 628mph during an impressive test in the Kalahri Desert.
However, the project stalled the following year due to a lack of funding.
Now, Bloodhound is back for round two and has launched the search for a new driver.
‘As we continue to raise the required funds to set a new LSR, the appointment of a new driver will add fresh excitement to the project,’ it explains on its website.
The Bloodhound car has been built to reach speeds of 800mph – a speed that would theoretically allow it to reach Aberdeen from London in less than 30 minutes
Back in 2019, the car reached speeds of 628mph during an impressive test in the Kalahri Desert
‘It will enable people to follow the journey of a new driver and get direct feedback from someone who has never driven at LSR speeds.’
Unsurprisingly, the record-breaking attempt will come with a hefty price tag and is expected to cost a whopping £12 million.
While Bloodhound will be footing some of that bill, it says the driver will need to ‘bring the remaining funding’.
This might sound like a big ask, but it’s actually fairly common in Formula 1.
For example, Lance Stroll’s father forked out $80 million (£65 million) in 2017 to help his 18-year-old son secure a Formula 1 seat with Williams F1.
Once the funding has been secured, Bloodhound says it’s ‘extremely confident’ it will achieve the LSR.
‘The team, track, and car have already been proven during our high-speed testing (where we achieved 628mph),’ it added.
‘The only hurdle that stands in our way is raising the required funding.’
HISTORY OF THE WORLD LAND SPEED RECORD
1904: Frenchman Louis Rigolly becomes the first man to drive a car at 100mph, taking the record from American carmaker Henry Ford
1927: Briton Henry Segrave passes the 200mph mark, driving the Sunbeam 1000 HP Mystery in Florida
1963: American Craig Breedlove sets the first record with a jet-powered car, reaching 407mph, although it was not ratified as the official record until later
1964: Breedlove reaches 500mph, driving at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the United States
1983: Britain reclaims the record when Richard Noble drives Thrust2 at 634mph
1997: Andy Green breaks the record twice in the same year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, reaching the current benchmark of 763mph in October that year while driving ThrustSSC
2024? Bloodhound manufacturers hope to beat the record
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