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 being 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
The Bloodhound project has reported the following progress on the SSC:
• The upper structure is now complete and is being sent off to be ‘cured’.
• Work is starting in earnest on the fin, with first parts arriving, with the assembly jig having been commissioned and a special fin bay built in the technical centre.
• Designs for the front-end composites are complete and most have been delivered.
• The large components of the rear suspension delta are now being released to manufacture.
Further, Jaguar’s supercharged 550 bhp V8 has been announced as the third engine in the SSC.

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.