[RahulNagaraj]

According to a media report, Bloodhound is planning to create a new land speed record by pushing its jet-powered car beyond 800 mph.

The company is currently said to be looking for drivers and is also raising funds for the project's next phase. Bloodhound's only driver and the current speed record holder, Wing Commander Andy Green, is said to be stepping aside from the drive but will continue to play a vital role as mentor and coach for the new driver. Green believes that the next driver for Bloodhound will be someone ideally with pilot-level skills or a top-end racing driver.



Bloodhound though is also reportedly reconfiguring the project to ensure that the new record run will happen in a zero-emissions guise. The jet-powered car will reportedly run on synthetic fuel, which could in the future be used to power low-emission intercontinental aircrafts.

Bloodhound owner estimates that the project will need GBP 12 million to beat the 800 mph barrier. While the timeline for the record run is yet to be confirmed, it will take place on a specially prepared track in South Africa.

The current land speed record is held by Bloodhound's own Thrust SSC. The record stands unbeaten since its run in 1997 when it clocked 763.035 mph (1,228 km/h).

The company's new CEO, Edmondson, admitted that while the "fire-breathing machine" itself has lost relevance, the use of zero-emissions synthetic fuel has helped transform the project's appeal. He stated, "As we enter a new chapter of the Bloodhound LSR project, I'm excited about the opportunity and challenges that lie ahead and confident that this will enable us to return to South Africa and set a new record." He further mentioned, "With a new driver, along with my aim of not using fossil fuels to set a new FIA Outright World Land Speed Record, the project promises to be exciting, engaging and relevant at so many levels."

Source: Autocar UK

Link to Team-BHP news