land speed record cars

Land speed record cars are essentially ground-bound missiles pretending to be “cars,” built to bully air into submission across salt flats.

The current absolute record belongs to ThrustSSC, which averaged 1,227.985 km/h in 1997 at Black Rock Desert, becoming the first supersonic car with RAF pilot Andy Green at the wheel.

These machines use jet or rocket thrust, skinny solid wheels, and mile-long run-ups; steering is more prayer than geometry.

Wheel-driven records live in a separate category and are far slower, but no less bonkers.

Modern challengers like Bloodhound LSR keep the arms race alive, but until someone tops that number, ThrustSSC remains the loud, smoky yardstick.