Full steam ahead for speed record

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The 25ft-long British Steam Car - dubbed the "fastest kettle in the world" - aims to beat a speed of 127mph reached by American Fred Marriott in a Stanley steam car in 1906 at the Daytona Beach Road Course.

It is the longest officially-recognised land speed record, but the British team hopes to overhaul it by reaching a target velocity of 170mph with their car at the Edwards Air Force base in California.

A team spokesman said: "The attempt is dependent on the weather and technical issues but as things stand the car is looking OK and they are looking forward to doing it."

The Lymington-based team agreed earlier this month to defer the record attempt until this week following a series of "technical issues". However, the vehicle has managed to reach speeds of more than 130mph following a series of test runs on US soil after the team arrived there in July.

The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) officials, who arrived on the site on Tuesday, are due to calibrate and record the team's official world record attempt. If unsuccessful, runs will take place until August 22, the team spokesman said.

The driver for the record attempt will be Charles Burnett III, a nephew of Lord Montague of Beaulieu, who made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 for an offshore water speed record of 137mph. Other team members include the 48-year-old test driver and father-of-two Don Wales, nephew of the late speed ace Donald Campbell and grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell.

Weighing three tons, the British Steam Car is made from a mixture of lightweight carbon-fibre composite and aluminium wrapped around a steel space frame chassis.

Using Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), the car is fitted with 12 boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing. Demineralised water is pumped into the boilers at up to 50 litres a minute and the burners produce three megawatts of heat.

Steam is superheated to 400C which is injected into the turbine at more than twice the speed of sound. Large Goodyear tyres and brake discs help bring it to a stop, and the car is also kitted with a parachute.