The official world record for the fastest wheel-driven vehicle was set on the Bonneville Salt Flats last month, but the record-breaking car has now gone even faster, breaking the 500-mph barrier at the same place a couple weeks ago. The new record stands at 482.646 mph, but Team Vesco got their famous Turbinator II to 503 mph some time later. The 503-mph run wasn't good for a new record, as it was only reached driving one way; wet weather conditions meant there was no chance to repeat the feat going the other direction for the speed to be an official record.
The Turbinator II differs from some other famous land speed record vehicles in that its wheels are driven — it is actually four-wheel-drive — instead of the non-driven wheels on the jet-propelled Thrust SSC and the Bloodhound SSC. The original Turbinator, the previous iteration of the Turbinator II, reached 458.440 mph in the hands of Don Vesco in October 2001, who passed away a year later after an illness. 500 mph was such a definitive goal to Vesco that he had custom "Goal 500 mph" license plate frames made decades ago, to display the team's intent.
The 503-mph top speed was reached with modifications done to the Turbinator II after its 482-mph record drive, including lighter spun-aluminum wheels. The 36-foot long, 21-foot wheelbase car uses a Lycoming-built Chinook helicopter engine with over 5000 horsepower, up from the 3750 hp in the first Turbinator.
As the Turbinator II is constantly improved and the team strives to battle speed-hindering wheelspin, it's a good bet that the car will eventually, officially beat 500 mph and even possibly reach 600 mph, if conditions are optimal. As driver Dave Spangler said to Autoweek, "There's certainly more left in this car." Eric Ritter from Team Vesco praised the track surface — as it was before it was flooded with water, preventing further runs — saying, "The thin surface was rock hard, without soft or loose spots that allowed us to lay in more power. We've come a long way in a short period of time, and I now believe 600 mph is plausible."
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The Turbinator II differs from some other famous land speed record vehicles in that its wheels are driven — it is actually four-wheel-drive — instead of the non-driven wheels on the jet-propelled Thrust SSC and the Bloodhound SSC. The original Turbinator, the previous iteration of the Turbinator II, reached 458.440 mph in the hands of Don Vesco in October 2001, who passed away a year later after an illness. 500 mph was such a definitive goal to Vesco that he had custom "Goal 500 mph" license plate frames made decades ago, to display the team's intent.
The 503-mph top speed was reached with modifications done to the Turbinator II after its 482-mph record drive, including lighter spun-aluminum wheels. The 36-foot long, 21-foot wheelbase car uses a Lycoming-built Chinook helicopter engine with over 5000 horsepower, up from the 3750 hp in the first Turbinator.
As the Turbinator II is constantly improved and the team strives to battle speed-hindering wheelspin, it's a good bet that the car will eventually, officially beat 500 mph and even possibly reach 600 mph, if conditions are optimal. As driver Dave Spangler said to Autoweek, "There's certainly more left in this car." Eric Ritter from Team Vesco praised the track surface — as it was before it was flooded with water, preventing further runs — saying, "The thin surface was rock hard, without soft or loose spots that allowed us to lay in more power. We've come a long way in a short period of time, and I now believe 600 mph is plausible."
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