French V150 tops Veyron by more than 100 mph

Sister blog Gadling just posted this video of a French assault on the worlds fastest vehicle title. Forget the Veyron's 253 mph or the projected 273 that the SSC Ultimate Aero TT will do, this Gallic bullet just hit 357.2 mph! While the Bug and Aero have around 1,000 hp to help push them towards glory, this puppy packs a whopping 25,000 hp. And it's not just about top speed here, this baby corners like it's on rails. OK, it literally corners on rails because it's a train. It still rides on wheels. Fine, its a stretch, but it is a pretty amazing speed for a train. Although a Japanese bullet train still holds a slightly higher overall speed record at 361 mph, that was a mag-lev with no wheels touching the ground during the run. Semantics, sure, but fun none-the-less.

Actually, top-fuel dragsters are approaching these speeds, albeit in just a quarter mile, and various Land Speed Record streamliners have hit speeds in excess of 400 mph, but seeing something this huge hustling along the French countryside is breathtaking. This specially equipped TGV was pulling three double-decker cars and had larger diameter wheels fitted, plus it had a boosted engine and increased voltage in the overhead lines. But even the regular TGV motors along at around 300 km/h on a typical run. High speed trains are increasingly being pitched to markets as varied as China and California, so these tests serve not only to draw attention to this mode of transportation, but to test updates in track and engine configurations. The full video of the record run is after the jump.

[Source: Gadling]