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462 mph from every angle

Zach Bowman — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:58:00 EST

We hate to be the ones to tell you this, but there's a scant chance most of us will ever exceed 200 miles per hour here on planet Earth. Sure, you can hop in a commercial jet liner and easily best that figure in the comfort of coach, but its not quite the same as skimming along mere inches from the ground in an hurling ball of aluminum, glass and fury. Maybe that's what makes the Speed Demon's latest run on the salt so impressive. As you may recall, the team behind this particular Streamliner recently pulled off a running mile of 426 mph.

They recently headed back out to try their hand at another pass, and the result was a standing mile of 458.189 mph with an exit speed of 462.345 mph. This time, the crew strapped enough ReplayXD cameras to the Streamliner to catch every aspect of the high-speed run, and the finished video gives us a pretty good idea of what it's like to clip along at ludicrous speed. Hit the jump to check it out for yourself.

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462 mph from every angle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is what a 426-mph flying mile looks like in HD

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

What's the fastest you've ever driven? We're sure many of you have crested the century mark. Some of you may have seen 150 miles per hour crawl by on the speedo, and perhaps a lucky few have experience 200. We can all but guarantee that none of you have gone as fast George Poteet, though.

Poteet is the man who strapped himself into a Bonneville Blown Fuel Streamliner known as Speed Demon, and proceeded to run down the salt flats at a tremendous rate of speed. Using a set of RePlay XD cameras (the same type we used for our Woodward Dream Cruise coverage), Poteet captured footage of his 426 mile per hour flying mile run.

For that speed, you need a serious engine, and the Speed Demon comes prepared. A 347 cubic-inch V8 mill gets paired with a pair of Turbonetics "Demon" turbochargers. The result is over 2,200 horses and a thrill ride that few get to experience.

What does it feel like to trip the lights fantastic at 426 miles per hour? Click past the jump to see for yourself.

Continue reading This is what a 426-mph flying mile looks like in HD

This is what a 426-mph flying mile looks like in HD originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World Land Speed Shootout at Bonneville

Michael Harley — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Technology, Specialty

Click above for high-res gallery of various streamliners

We're suckers for speed, so we jumped at the opportunity to attend a press conference for an upcoming top speed shootout on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Unlike the countless speed contests held at locations around the world each year, the Top 1 Oil World Land Speed Shootout is the first single competition originated to decide the fastest wheel-driven cars and motorcycles on the planet. With few rules to limit innovation, some amazingly fast machines will take to the salt at the inaugural event this September 22-26.

At the press conference held at World Class Motoring in Los Angeles, we were lucky enough to check out the Ack Attack motorcycle and Speed Demon car -- two of the fastest wheel-driven vehicles in the world (with top speeds approaching 400 mph). The sleek machines (aka "Streamliners") are much more sophisticated and technically innovative than their outward appearance would lead you to believe. Under their thin aluminum/composite skins are countless subsystems of hydraulics, electronics, powertrains, and safety equipment... all designed to fit within the tubular aerodynamic confines of each streamliner. Nestled deep within the belly of these awesome machines are the driver/riders who risk everything to set the next FIA/FIM-sanctioned record. While the missile-like fuselages were fascinating to look at, hanging out with the teams -- genuine, truly passionate about speed, and brilliant enough to design record holders -- was what left a lasting impression with us. Best of luck guys!

Gallery: 2008 Land Speed Shootout

[Source: Top 1 Oil]

Continue reading World Land Speed Shootout at Bonneville

World Land Speed Shootout at Bonneville originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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