Name and Location
Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) project, Bristol, UK.

Client
Founder sponsors include Swansea University, the Engineering and Sciences Research Council, the Serco group, University of the West England and STP.

Project Description
The Bloodhound project involves the construction of, possibly, the world’s fastest car.

The SSC is an amalgamation of car and aircraft technology, with the front half being a carbon-fibre monocoque, similar to that of a racing car, and the back half a metallic frame, with panels like those of an aircraft. It will weigh more than seven tonnes.

The Bloodhound will have a slender, 14-m-long body, with two front wheels mounted within the body and two rear wheels mounted externally within the wheel fairings.

Value
R515-million.

Duration
The timeframe for the 1 600 km/h run will be 2016.

Latest Developments
Lubricant company Castrol will provide lubricants, brake and hydraulic fluids for use in the Bloodhound SSC.

The Bloodhound is on schedule for its public debut next year, when it will undergo UK runway testing at speeds of up to 321 km/h at the Aerohub, Newquay.

The team, led by Richard Noble and Andy Green, will then deploy to South Africa to begin high-speed testing, with the aim of reaching1 287 km/h.

The team will return to the UK to review the data and fly back to South Africa in 2016 to reach 1 609 km/h.

To achieve this, the Bloodhound will need to cover a mile in 3.6 seconds.

The Bloodhound will use a variety of Castrol products during these tests and record attempts, including Castrol Edge engine oil, Castrol React SRF brake fluid, and Castrol hydraulic fluids, previously used by the US’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or Nasa. 

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Castrol (lubricants, brake and hydraulic fluids), Poynting (antennas).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Mettle PR on behalf of Bloodhound, Jules Tipler, tel +44 7811 166 796 or email jules.tipler@mettlepr.com.