Bloodhound LSR Is Going For A Green Land Speed Record

Oct. 24, 2022 10:24 AM ET by Gerhard Horn Technology / Comments

The research could have massive implications for air travel.

Earlier this year, we reported that the infamous Bloodhound land speed record car's development was back on track, but with a twist. Instead of using fossil fuels, the team now wants to break the land speed record while not emitting a single gram of carbon into the atmosphere. This news came a few months after we asked the question of why anyone would bother getting involved in such an antiquated endeavor.

Did you know, for example, that the original version of Bloodhound used the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 out of the Jaguar F-Pace SVR? Not as a means of propulsion. Instead, the 500+ horsepower V8 was used as a fuel pump for the rocket. This thing would have made the Hummer H2 look frugal.

In a recent interview with Autocar, the current CEO of the Bloodhound LSR project made his feelings clear. "[The Bloodhound is] a fire-breathing machine of the old school," said Stuart Edmondson. But adapting the Rolls-Royce engine to run on synthetic fuel can bring the emissions down to zero. The Jag engine will also be replaced by an electric fuel pump and a lightweight battery.

However, the new project is far more than just a green publicity stunt. Before he joined the Bloodhound project, Edmundson spent 19 years in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He's intimately familiar with the Rolls-Royce-made Eurofighter Typhoon engines, one of which is used to power the Bloodhound.

Bloodhound will not only break records but will also serve as a testbed for low-emissions synthetic jet fuel. In short, Bloodhound hopes to lead the charge for synthetic fuels in the air, while Porsche will look after four-wheeled things on the ground.

"Our Rolls-Royce EJ200 engine powers something like 1000 jet fighters in use across the world, and they're likely to be around for years to come," he said. "It helps a lot that our tests are fundamentally safe because our car is always on the ground if something goes wrong."

"We have a developed car, a proven team, a prepared track, and a driver who already holds the world land speed record," he said. "We're also in a position to create worldwide interest if we break the record, which we have great prospects of doing. Why wouldn't new backers be interested?"

It's clear from the final statement that the Bloodhound project is still stuck looking for funding, but at least the project has been made more palatable by the new environmentally-friendly ethos.

The Bloodhound 1,000 mph land speed record car has been stuck in development hell for 14 years. Development started in 2008 when the car was known as the Bloodhound SSC. The company behind the original record went bust in 2018, but it was saved by a British businessman who started a new company called Grafton LSR Ltd to run the project. The car's name changed to Bloodhound LSR (Land Speed Record), and the project went bust again due to the pandemic.

It was put up for sale on the open market in 2021, but nobody was interested. Instead, the Bloodhound LSR was stuck in the Coventry Transport Museum alongside the previous land speed record holders.

If the new record attempt goes forward, the team will only be ready by 2024.