The British Bloodhound SuperSonic Car project made some serious headway in the quest to raise the world's land speed record to 1,000 mph when the machine's main power unit, a spectacularly forceful rocket engine, was successfully test fired in 2012.
The rocket is believed to be the largest designed in Europe in decades, and it's 185-decible noise level is said to be many times louder than a Boeing 747 during takeoff. Demonstrating the potential is a great boost, but multiple tasks still need to be completed before the 44-foot, 17,000-pound Bloodhound SSC is fully ready for it's initial run in late 2013 in South Africa.
The rocket was tested to just half the thrust required to hit 1,000 mph, while the pencil-like chassis and body are still a collection of beautifully engineered aluminum and carbon-fiber components scattered around various British engineering shops. Later this year, the chassis is expected to be delivered to Bloodhound's Bristol technical center in England for outfitting ahead of practice runs next summer.