Whether it be the world’s fastest car or the world’s strongest beer, the old maxim that “competition improves the breed†seems to hold true. Volkswagen spent an extraordinary amount of money, time and effort creating the 408 km/h (254 mph), 1001bhp Bugatti Veyron in 2005 – it knocked off the 387.37 km/h (240.7 mph) record set by Koenigsegg’s CCR to become the fastest, most powerful and most expensive car ever built. Then SSC came along with the Ultimate Aero TT to set a new world mark of 412.28 km/h (256.18 mph). Now Bugatti’s new Veyron Super Sport has pushed the record to 431 km/h.
SSC held the title for three years, but although it is known to have a car under construction which is targeting 280 mph, it is a far more multi-dimensional company than one which just builds fast cars. One of its other interesting projects is worth a look … Details
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Pastrana Ascends 6,288-Foot Peak Driving Subaru Rally Car Besting 100 Years of Previous Attempts
Gorham, NH – (September 9, 2010) – The 149-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road has seen the likes of horses and carriages, camels, people, bicycles and most famously, competition race cars. Yesterday, traveling at an average speed of nearly 72 miles per hour in a Vermont SportsCar prepared, BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car, four-time Rally America National Champion Travis Pastrana made sure the project name, Red Bull Speed Chasers, lived up to its name. He reached the summit faster than anyone else in history by clocking an officially timed run of 6 minutes 20.47 seconds, besting the previous record by more than twenty seconds.  … Details & Pictures
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Scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 15-17 at famed Auto Club Famoso Raceway just north of Bakersfield, Calif., NHRA’s California Hot Rod Reunion presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California is a three-day festival of nostalgic drag racing, hot rods, “Ameri-car-na,†and heroes. From dragster builders to dragstrip kings, this year’s group of Reunion honorees played a major role in the early days of drag racing. Heading the bill is grand marshal Tom Hanna. Renowned for his metal-shaping skills, Hanna is perhaps best known for hand-forming the station-wagon body on Tommy Ivo’s four-engine Show Boat and countless full-bodied dragsters.
Joining Hanna as this year’s honorees are Super Stock and Pro Stock pioneer Bill Bagshaw, renowned chassis builder Don Long, and Al “Mousie†Marcellus of Winged Express fame. Also in the lineup is … Details
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The new MINI Countryman World Rally Car has successfully completed its shakedown phase at Prodrive’s private proving ground in Warwickshire.
This initial part of the car’s test and development programme took place with the engineering team driving the car over four days, primarily on tarmac, but also including several kilometres on loose surfaces and Prodrive’s low grip facility. The car will now travel to Portugal for a week of testing on gravel … Details & Pictures
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