Project Runningblade will attempt 100+ MPH lawnmower land speed record [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:00 EST

Project Runningblade - Click above for high-res image gallery

There are some people who would tell you that Formula 1 is the pinnacle of four-wheeled motorsports. Those of us in the know, however, have other ideas. Clearly, F1 ain't got nothin' on a well-tuned John Deer. That's right, we're talking about the competitive world of lawnmower racing.

For those who don't know, American Bob Cleveland currently holds the record for the World's Fastest Lawnmower, which was set at 80.7929 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2006. If Don Wales of the UK has anything to say about it, though, that record will fall by May 23rd as Project Runningblade takes a crack at 100 mph.

In case you were wondering, Runningblade is powered by a Kawasaki V-twin engine that is in fact designed for lawnmower duty and can indeed cut grass... at 100 miles per hour. If I had had that at my disposal when living as a teenager in Ohio, perhaps cutting the back 40 wouldn't have been so bad after all.

See our high-res image gallery below and check out the video pasted after the break. There, you'll also find a press release from Toyota touting the use of its diesel-powered Hilux pickup as the transportation and support vehicle for the project.

Gallery: Project Runningblade

[Source: Project Runningblade, Toyota]

Continue reading Project Runningblade will attempt 100+ MPH lawnmower land speed record [w/video]

Project Runningblade will attempt 100+ MPH lawnmower land speed record [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 lawn mower cuts down the competition like Schumacher

John Neff — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

click above image to view more high-res pics of the F1 concept lawn mower

I absolutely hate mowing the lawn, so anything that can help accomplish this task quicker than my hand-me-down Toro is worth considering. An F1-inspired mower just might do the trick. Complete with an F1-style front wing, full race suspension, rear view mirrors, vintage John Player Special-style livery and a steering wheel sporting an LCD gauge display, this CG mockup of a concept racing mower by Kadeg Boucher of France could easily shave a few tenths off my mow time. We particularly like the pull start that's been relocated front and center, as well as the race helmet cap on the single spark plug. Within the gallery below you'll find a bunch of images showing Boucher's concept cutter from every angle, and some versions of the machine appear more production feasible than others. Seriously, there are at least a few of us out there who would lay down cash on the spot if we passed this thing in Home Depot.

Thanks for the tip, Mason!

[Source: CG Forums]

Gallery: F1 concept lawn mower

F1 lawn mower cuts down the competition like Schumacher originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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