Inspiration is a British steam-powered car designed by Glynne Bowsher and developed by the British Steam Car Challenge (BSCC) team.[1]
Inspiration holds the World Land Speed Record for a steam-powered vehicle, set on 26 August 2009, when it achieved a speed of 148.308 mph (239 km/h). This improved on the record set the previous day, which had broken the longest-standing land speed record, set in 1906 by Fred Marriott in a Stanley Steamer.[2]
The car was driven by Charles Burnett III at the Edwards Air Force Base in California, United States. It is 7.6 m long, 1.7 m wide and weighs 3 tons. It is powered by a two-stage turbine driven by superheated steam from twelve boilers containing distilled water. The boilers are heated by burners which burn Liquid Petroleum Gas to produce 3 Megawatts (10.2 million BTU/hr) of heat. The steam produced is at a temperature of 400 ºC (752 ºF) and a pressure of 4000 kN/m2 40 bar (580 psi). The engine is capable of developing 288 kW (386 hp; 392 PS) and consumes around 40 litres (8.8 Impgal) of water per minute).[3]
Wikimedia Commons
| Manufacturer: | British Steam Car Challenge |
| Top speed: | 149 miles per hour (240 km/h) World Land Speed Record for a steam-powered vehicle |
The car is on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, England.[4]