There is only one car in history that has ever broken the sound barrier, and it's called "Thrust SuperSonic Car," which achieved this feat back in October 1997 after reaching speeds of 763 miles per hour in Nevada's the Black Rock Desert!
12 Sep 1997: The Thrust SSC Land Speed Racer races down the Nevada desert floor its attempt to break world''s land speed record at Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
"Massive, Handful, Uncontrollable"
As reported first by Interesting Engineering, former British Royal Air Force pilot Andrew Green was the one who set the record. Green called the car "a massive handful, bordering on uncontrollable" at 500-600 miles per hour, according to the Guinness World Records.
3 Oct 1997: Thrust SSC Car pilot Andy Green looks on during the Supersonic World Land Speed Record Challenge at Black Rock Desert in Gerlach, Nevada.
Green was the fastest driver in recorded history. Furthermore, Chuck Yeager from the US first broke the sound barrier in a rocket plane called the Bell X-1, which was 50 years and one day before him.
The Thrust SSC is not competing in races right now. However, the public can witness the record-breaking car in Coventry, England, at the Coventry Transport Museum, where it is on display.
According to Interesting Engineering, the Thrust SSC remains to be one of the finest cars that have been produced in history. Here are interesting facts about the record-breaking car!
Read also: This Supersonic Jet Can Reportedly Fly From China To NYC In ONE HOUR--But Is It Too Fast For Its Own Good?
Mind-Blowing Facts About The Thrust SSC!
1997 Andy Green Poses With Thrustssc And The Compressor For His In-Car Breathing Air Supply On The Jafr Desert. He Is Attempting To Break The Land Speed Record.
1. Two afterburning Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, typically found on the British McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet, were used to power the vehicle.
2. The car weighs almost 10 tons and measures 12 feet (3.7 m) in width by 54 feet (16.5 m) in length.
3. The Thrust SSC boasts a total thrust of 223 kN or roughly 50,000 pounds of force!
4. It accelerated at a rate of 25 miles per hour per second during its iconic ride with Green.
5. The car was so fast that it needed a parachute to slow down its extreme acceleration!
6. Green said that the car had the "loudest, highest pitch scream" he had ever heard!
This iconic supersonic car was not intended to be retired entirely. In fact, Guinness World Records claims that it was planned to break its record again in 2016 with Green driving the car again, which would have been insanely cool!
But obviously, the attempt never happened, so let's hope that someday this historic vehicle will grace the path once again.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
