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An artist’s illustration of the Bloodhound
On October 26, a supersonic car called the Bloodhound SSC is set to undergo its first test drive on a runway at an airport in England.
The Bloodhound will be outfitted with a jet engine, which releases a flow of hot air to propel a vehicle forward. The car is expected to reach speeds of 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour. If the car performs well at these speeds, its designers plan to upgrade the vehicle with a rocket engine, which works similarly to a jet engine but is much more powerful.
The car’s designers aim to someday reach a top speed of 1,600 kph (1,000 mph)—about eight times faster than an average car’s top speed! That would set a new land-speed record.
SPEED RACER: Jet pilot Andy Green will drive the car (left).
SUPER POWER: The team installs the Bloodhound’s jet engine (right).
This graph shows the speeds of some of the world’s fastest vehicles. What factors might limit the top speeds of each type of vehicle?