FIA World Land Speed Records (2024)

FIA World Records are motorsport distilled to its two most basic elements - distance versus time - to create the fastest recognised official speeds achieved by any wheeled vehicle on land. The Outright Land Speed Record, which currently stands at763.035 mph(1227.985 km/h), is the most prestigious, but there are hundreds of other records in myriad classes based on factors such as engine type and capacity, weight or body shape. Record Attempts may be attempted on straightline playa, salt or tarmac courses, where they are averaged over two runs in opposing directions, or over distance or time endurance runs on closed racetracks.

FIA WORLD RECORD PROCESS

This flowchart lists the various steps in the process of setting a record: from the application for the Record Attempt to its publication.

CATEGORIES

There are many different types of World Records which are divided into four main categories (A, B, C & D) and then several Group & Class sub-divisions within those categories.

Definitions of these Categories, Groups, and Classes can be found in Appendix D through the link below.

REGULATIONS

World Record attempts are governed by regulations as set out in Article 2.7.4 and Appendix D of the FIA’s International Sporting Code. To view these regulations please click on the links here:

LISTS OF RECORDS

Lists of World Records currently recognised by the FIA can be found here:

FORMS FOR RECORD ATTEMPTS

For each Record Attempt forms must be completed prior to and on completion of each attempt.To view the forms please click here:

CALCULATION FORMS

In order to calculate the average speed for a record attempt, the following forms are provided for each major type of record.To view the forms, please click here:

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WORLD RECORDS

There are many World Records for different categories but the most famous is the Outright World Land Speed Record - this is the Absolute World Record for the 1 Mile Flying Start. Absolute World Records are for a given distance or elapsed time, independent of Category, Group, or Class.

OUTRIGHT WORLD LAND SPEED RECORD

The current holder of the Outright World Land Speed Record is ThrustSSC driven by Andy Green, a twin turbofan jet-powered car which achieved763.035 mph - 1227.985 km/h- over one mile in October 1997. This is the first supersonic record as it exceeded the sound barrier at Mach 1.016.

Other famous holders of the Outright World Land Speed Record include:

•Thrust II driven by Richard Noble
- achieved a best speed of633.468mph / 1019.47km/hin 1983

•The Blue Flame driven by Gary Gabelich
- first to exceed 1000 km/h -630.388 mph / 1014.496 km/hin 1970

•Spirit of America driven by Craig Breedlove
- achieved a best speed of600.601mph / 966.574km/hin 1965

•Blue Bird driven by Malcolm Campbell
- achieved a best speed of301.129mph / 484.620km/hin 1935

•Golden Arrow driven by Henry Segrave
- achieved a best speed of231.36mph / 327.34km/hin 1929

Records up to 1935 were predominately set on beaches before the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA became the preferred venue for attempts and was home of nearly all Outright World Land Speed Records set between 1935 and 1970. The current Outright World Land Speed Record was set at Black Rock Desert, USA.

FIA World Land Speed Record Archives

FIA World Land Speed Records (2024)

FAQs

Is anyone trying to beat the land speed record? ›

Attempts are still being made to surpass the 1997 record involving both Richard Noble and Andy Green with the Bloodhound LSR project. The project plans to hit the 1,000 mph mark, which would break the record by the largest ever margin if achieved.

Has a car ever gone 1000 mph? ›

Highlights. The Bloodhound SSC is a rocket-powered car that went on for sale for a staggering $11 million. It broke the land speed record by hitting over 1000 mph. This car with a jet engine can break the sound barrier.

What is the fastest land speed record ever set? ›

The current holder of the Outright World Land Speed Record is ThrustSSC driven by Andy Green, a twin turbofan jet-powered car which achieved 763.035 mph - 1227.985 km/h - over one mile in October 1997. This is the first supersonic record as it exceeded the sound barrier at Mach 1.016.

What is the fastest anyone has ever gone? ›

The fastest speed ever achieved by a man in the atmosphere was that of Felix Baumgartner, who on October 14, 2012 - during the Red Bull Stratos mission - launched himself from a height of 38,969 meters, approaching 843.6 mph and thus breaking the speed of sound (which in the air spreads at about 745.645 mph).

Is the BADD GT street legal? ›

9, 2022, the Gas Monkey Garage-sponsored 2006 Ford GT known as the “BADD GT,” achieved a top speed of 310.8 mph (500.1 km/h) at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility, located in Kennedy Space Center, Florida, making this car the fastest street legal car in the world.

Has any car ever gone 400 mph? ›

It's the place that saw Craig Breedlove become the first American to break the 400 mph (644 kph) barrier in 1963 and exceed 600 mph (966 kph) in 1965. In almost 100 years, the Bonneville Speedway witnessed several speed records being set in a wide variety of classes.

Has anyone broke the sound barrier on land? ›

Thrust SSC holds the world land speed record, set on 15 October 1997, and driven by Andy Green, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and it became the first and only land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier.

Has any car hit 700 mph? ›

Returning in 1997, the vehicle badly damaged the engine on an early run and when the British ThrustSSC managed over 700 mph (1,100 km/h), the re-engined Spirit could do no better than 676 mph (1,088 km/h). Breedlove believed the vehicle was capable of exceeding 800 mph (1,300 km/h), but was never tested.

Has any car broken 400 mph? ›

In July 1964, Donald Campbell's Bluebird CN7 set a mile speed of 403 mph, which was the last time the LSR was set by a wheel-powered vehicle. Craig Breedlove had actually gone even faster the year prior in his three-wheeled Spirit of America jet car, but regulations of the era made it unofficial for a time.

What's the fastest thing on Earth? ›

The most obvious answer appears to be light. In a vacuum, light travels approximately 186,000 miles per second (300,000 kilometers per second). Nothing in the universe that we know of can exceed this speed.

Which animal runs the fastest? ›

Capable of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds, the cheetah is considered the fastest land animal, though it is able to maintain such speeds only for short distances.

How fast can a human travel without dying? ›

Changes in speed are expressed in multiples of gravitational acceleration, or 'G'. Most of us can withstand up to 4-6G. Fighter pilots can manage up to about 9G for a second or two.

What is the fastest speed limit on Earth? ›

As of 2018 the highest posted speed limit in the world is 160 km/h (99 mph), applied on two motorways in the UAE.

What's the fastest a human has ever flown? ›

40 Years Ago Today: Eldon Joersz became the fastest man in the world – a record that still stands today. On this day in history Eldon W Joersz officially became the fastest man in the world, when he flew his US Air Force Blackbird plane at an astonishing 3,529.56km/h (2,194 mph).

Has anyone broken the sound barrier on land? ›

Thrust SSC holds the world land speed record, set on 15 October 1997, and driven by Andy Green, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and it became the first and only land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier.

What happened to the land speed record attempt? ›

Administrators were called in and appeals for £25m worth of funding duly followed. On life support, the Bloodhound was saved at the eleventh hour by Yorkshire businessman Ian Warhust. Having taken his children to visit what was essentially a motoring corpse, he decided to step in so as to prevent it being broken up.

Who currently owns the land speed record? ›

ThrustSSC, driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, holds the current land speed record at 1,227.986 km/h (763.035 mph) set October 15, 1997.

Did Bloodhound break the land speed record? ›

Powered by conventional jet fuel, Bloodhound ran successfully in 2019 at speeds of up to 628mph (the current record, achieved by the same team with the Thrust SCC car in 1997, stands at 763.035mph) on a specially prepared track at Hakskeen Pan in the north of South Africa.

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