Turbinator II Becomes First Wheel-Driven Vehicle to Reach 500 MPH
Although it doesn’t count as an official record.
Last month, Team Vesco‘s Turbinator II broke the record for the world’s fastest wheel-driven vehicle after it posted a top speed of 482.646 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The vehicle has now gone one better and broken the 500 mph mark with a speed of 503 mph. This top speed doesn’t count as a new record, however, as it was only recorded going in one direction. Weather conditions made it impossible to go in the other direction.
The new top speed comes after Team Vesco made a series of modifications to the vehicle, including lighter spun-aluminum wheels and increased horsepower coming from a Chinook helicopter engine.
The Turbinator II is still considerably short of breaking the overall land speed record, which is held by the Thrust SSC. Thrust SSC is jet propelled and features non-driving wheels whereas the Turbinator II comes with four-wheel drive. It is expected that Turbinator II will one day officially break 500 mph and could even get to 600 mph, taking it closer to Thrust SSC’s 760.443 mph record.
In other automotive news, check out Bollinger Motors’ fully-electric pickup truck.
