For a long time, it looked as if the land speed record set by Andy Green would never be beaten. Back in 1997, Green achieved a staggering speed of 763.035 mph in the ThurstSSC. Now, the former air force pilot is trying to set a new record and break the 1,000-mph barrier in the Bloodhound SSC jet car. At one point, the record attempt was canceled after organizers failed to secure funding, but a new investor has helped get the Bloodhound project back on track. Details about the company's future plans aren't known yet, but the original plan was to beat the current speed record this year and then attempt a 1,000-mph run in 2020.

In the meantime, Zef Eisenberg and his UK-based Madmax Race Team are attempting a new land speed record of a different kind. The goal is simple: hit 200 mph on sand while driving a custom-built 1,200-hp, road-legal Porsche 911 Turbo S. It won't be easy, however.

Last May, Eisenberg became the first person to exceed 200 mph with a wheel-driven vehicle in his supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa, becoming the "fastest motorbike on sand" in the world. The record was set at Pendine Sands in South Wales, where he achieved a speed of 201.572 mph. Fast forward one year later, and Eisenberg will attempt another record at the same location using a vehicle with four wheels. "I'm well known for setting records on bikes, so people started asking me why not cars?" said Eisenberg.

To set the record, Eisenberg's Madmax Race Team has hand-built a 4.2-liter Porsche motorsport engine with new stronger internals, upgraded turbos, a new E85 fuel system, and advanced cooling setup. The result is 1,200 hp at the crank and approximately 1,000 hp at the wheels.

To cope with all that extra grunt, the gearbox and clutch had to be significantly upgraded, while the brakes and suspension were modified to allow for different wheels and tires. Inside, the cabin remains stock apart from a roll cage, competition seats, and safety harness. The record attempt will happen on the weekend of April 6-7, 2019. Watch this space.