British car designed to reach 1,000mph tested on runway

A British car designed to reach 1,000mph has been tested in public for the first time.

Bloodhound SSC was driven by ex-RAF fighter pilot Andy Green along the runway at Cornwall Airport Newquay.

It accelerated from 0-200mph in eight seconds during the first of two runs, hitting a peak speed of 210mph.

The team behind the car say it is a combination of a fighter jet, a Formula One car and a spaceship.

It is fitted with an EJ200 jet engine, sourced from a Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.

The car will attempt the break the land speed record in South Africa in 2019.

In 1997 Mr Green was the driver for the Thrust SSC team as it set the current record of 763mph.

Bloodhound SSC is designed to reach 1,000mph in a bid to set a record that cannot be beaten by existing technology.

Speaking after the Newquay test was completed, Mr Green said: “We came here to show the world Bloodhound is go.

“I cannot think of a better way to do it than that run. Two back-to-back runs, the longest runs we’ve done, the highest speeds we’ve done, the most energy going into the brakes.

“The car just said: ‘I can do all of this. I’m designed for supersonic speed but this I can do easily’.”

According to the project’s website, Mr Green added: “The car is already working faster and better than we expected. I cannot wait to go faster!

“The design and engineering team has done an incredible job with Bloodhound SSC.

“There is development work still to do, of course, but straight out of the box it feels responsive, stable and, above all, tremendously fast.

“Although 210mph is far below the car’s ultimate target of 1,000mph, today was a proper workout for the vehicle.”

The runway trials came at the end of a month of testing at Newquay airport where the team has been checking the integration of the EJ200 jet engine as well as the car’s other functions.

Bloodhound’s chief engineer Mark Chapman said: “The Newquay tests have gone better than anyone dared hope and that is testament to the many years of research and design invested in Bloodhound SSC.

“It is a one-off prototype with over 3,500 bespoke parts, so to see it performing so well today is a hugely satisfying experience. It’s like a greyhound, not a bloodhound!”