fastest vehicles known to the human race

The Railton Mobil Special, previously known as the Railton Special, was the chief rival to the Thunderbolt in the 1930s. Pilot John Cobb has engaged with a fierce rivalry with Captain Eyston of the Thunderbolt, and both men where able to secure landspeed records during their speed battles. Powered by two supercharged Napier Lion VIID W12 aircraft engines, the Railton Mobil Special was the first vehicle to break the 350 miles per hour barrier. After World War II, Mobil Oil took up sponsorship and helped with a redesign, ultimately leading to the vehicle reaching a top speed of 394.196 miles per hour in 1947.

During the 1930s, a supercar called the Thunderbolt was the fastest landbased craft in the world. The Thunderbolt, piloted by Captain George E.T. Eyston, first set a record of 312 miles per hour in 1937. Eyston was able to incorporate redesigns and improve the Thunderbolts performance, and eventually hit speeds of 357.49 miles per hour in September 1938. The Thunderbolt used two RollsRoyce RType V12 aero engines, the same type used in the Blue Bird of years prior. Although the vehicle was destroyed in a fire sometime after its retirement, a surviving engine can be seen at the Science Museum in London.

The Buckeye Bullet 2.5 is the fastest electric vehicle of all time. Capable of speeds in excess of 307 miles per hour, the Buckeye Bullet 2.5 used A123 Systems 32113 cylindrical cell lithium ion batteries for propulsion, hitting its recordbreaking speeds in 2010. The Bullet was designed by a team of students from Ohio State University, mostly from the engineering department. The Bullet team is currently working on what will be the fourth version of their vehicle, with goals of eclipsing 400 miles per hour upon completion.

The CampbellRailton Blue Bird was a car built to break land speed records from the getgo. Designed by Reid Railton and driven by Sir Malcolm Campbell, the Blue Bird was able to achieve a top speed of 301.129 miles per hour in 1935. The Blue Birds engine was a 36.7liter supercharged RollsRoyce R V12, supplying it with an incredible 2,300 horsepower. Campbell was able to break the 300 miles per hour barrier for the first time in a land vehicle with the Blue Bird, making him the landspeed world record holder. Not yet finished, he also used the Blue Bird to set water speed records, hitting a top speed of 141.7 miles per hour in a Blue Bird variant.