World's Fastest

University of Denver engineering graduate student Eva Håkansson pushed her home-built electric sidecar motorcycle "KillaJoule" to just over 216 mph (347 km/h) last week, while setting a new world record for electric sidecar bikes at the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville Salt Flats. The top speed comes achingly close to the fastest record ever set with an internal combustion engine for a bike of that type: 219 mph (352 km/h).  Read More

Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree is building a special sort of bicycle. He's building it in his own kitchen without a lick of research assistance to inform the design. Why might research assistance be useful? Because with this bicycle, dubbed Beastie, Obree intends not only to break the human-powered vehicle land speed record, but also hopes to be the first person to break 100 mph (161 km/h). But then, Obree's never been one to do things the easy way.  Read More

Volkswagen has announced that its 2013 Jetta Hybrid became the fastest hybrid production-based car in the world during Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) annual Speed Week. Motor Trend Associate Road Test Editor Carlos Lago was in the driver's seat of the specially-modified compact sedan when it set the new hybrid speed record of 185.394 mph (298.363 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Nevada last week.  Read More

The last time we caught up with electric vehicle pioneer Chip Yates, he was in the latter stages of his pilot training that would allow him to fly a yet-to-be-designed electric aircraft from New York to Paris along the same route taken by Charles Lindbergh. Having already claimed the crown for the world's fastest electric motorcycle in 2011, he has now stamped his seal on the title of first manned electric airplane to break the 200 mph barrier in level flight.  Read More

Traveling at 80.74 mph (129.94 km/h) on four wheels won’t usually grab you a Guinness world record, but when that feat is achieved on a vehicle that relies on only leg power and gravity, it’s another story. That’s just what 28-year old Mischo Erban has done in a record-breaking downhill skateboard run at Les Éboulements in Quebec, Canada, this week.  Read More

Team Steam USA's campaign to break the land speed record for steam-powered vehicles has received a shot in the arm, having been granted the use of construction molds from the 450-mph (724-km/h)-busting twin-turbo V8 engine-powered Speed Demon streamliner.  Read More

As much as we love reading a spec sheet spouting figures such as 1,200-hp, nought to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.6 seconds, and a top speed of 255 mph (410 km/h), what we really want to see is the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse in action. Bugatti has granted that wish with the release of a new promo video.  Read More

Cessna seized upon the frankly unmissable opportunity to make a major announcement at this year's Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida, by announcing that its luxury single-pilot aircraft, the Cessna Corvalis TTX, has entered production. The new aircraft, proclaimed by Cessna to be the "world's fastest fixed-gear aircraft," will replace the old Corvalis TT.  Read More

Specialized has just announced its new Turbo electric bicycle, which it claims is the fastest e-bike ever made ... a claim that the makers of the BlackTrail e-bike would likely dispute. Whatever the case, the Turbo's top motor-assisted speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) should definitely limit where it will be sold – in the U.S., Britain and most of Europe, for instance, it would be illegal. Nonetheless, limited numbers of the bike should reportedly be available for sale (although it hasn’t been stated in which countries) as of May.  Read More