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Green Bus Birmingham's Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX400 YN51 KVT Seen on Lay Over at Ealing Broadway on LUL Replacements.Of the many Tridents i have driven this has to be the best and the fastest. New to Travel London.
copyrighted © Marzouq Almosawy
All images appearing in the Almosawy Photostream are the exclusive property of him and may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Marzouq Almosawy.
See this one Large! www.flickr.com/photos/jungle_mama/4648945376/sizes/l/
About 10 years ago, a neighbor gave me a 2 gallon can with a scrawny, leggy plant in it and predicted great things. Sounded like a Jack-in-the-Bean-Stalk story at the time but now I believe his outlandish tale. My Silk Floss quickly started growing and growing. And today it's 60 feet high!
The thick green trunk is covered with big fiercely strong, sharp spines. Locals here call it Monkey Tree because they say only monkeys can climb it. The spines break off, wear down and turn gray as the tree ages. Silk Floss trees grow so rapidly that they get bright green stretch marks! Some experts say it's the fastest growing tree in the world... and based on my experience... I think they may be right!
When Silk Floss trees mature, they shed their leaves in September and, all bare, break into a glorious display of gorgeous pink or purple five-petaled flowers. The flowers are followed by pear-shaped capsules filled with seeds embedded in silky white floss. The floss, or Kapok, extracted from the pods is a cotton-like substance with smooth fibers – too smooth for textile thread – that's used to stuff life preservers, saddles, cushions and mattresses. The primary use is for life preservers as the floss can support 30 times its own weight in water!
Another view Large...
www.flickr.com/photos/jungle_mama/4648944950/sizes/l/
Silk Floss Tree, Ceiba speciosa, palo borracho (in Spanish literally "drunken tree", Malvaceae
The McLaren F1 is a sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior and interior of the car. On 31 March 1998, it set the record for the world's fastest production car, reaching 231 mph (372 km/h) with the rev limiter enabled, and 243 mph (391 km/h) with the rev limiter removed.
The car features numerous proprietary designs and technologies; it is lighter and has a more streamlined structure than many modern sports cars, despite having one seat more than most similar sports cars, with the driver's seat located in the centre (and slightly forward) of two passengers' seating positions, providing driver visibility superior to that of a conventional seating layout. It features a powerful engine and is somewhat track oriented, but not to the degree that it compromises everyday usability and comfort. It was conceived as an exercise in creating what its designers hoped would be considered the ultimate road car. Despite not having been designed as a track machine, a modified race car edition of the vehicle won several races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, where it faced purpose-built prototype race cars. Production began in 1992 and ended in 1998. In all, 106 cars were manufactured, with some variations in the design.
In 1994, the British car magazine Autocar stated in a road test regarding the F1, "The McLaren F1 is the finest driving machine yet built for the public road." and that "The F1 will be remembered as one of the great events in the history of the car, and it may possibly be the fastest production road car the world will ever see."
In August 2013, at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Gooding & Company auctioned off chassis 066 for a record sale price of US$8.47 million.
Design and implementation:
Chief engineer Gordon Murray's design concept was a common one among designers of high-performance cars: low weight and high power. This was achieved through use of high-tech and expensive materials such as carbon fibre, titanium, gold, magnesium and kevlar. The F1 was the first production car to use a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis.
Gordon Murray had been thinking of a three-seat sports car since his youth. When Murray was waiting for a flight home from the Italian Grand Prix in 1988, he drew a sketch of a three seater sports car and proposed it to Ron Dennis. He pitched the idea of creating the ultimate road car, a concept that would be heavily influenced by the company's Formula One experience and technology and thus reflect that skill and knowledge through the McLaren F1.
Murray declared that "During this time, we were able to visit with Ayrton Senna and Honda's Tochigi Research Center. The visit related to the fact that at the time, McLaren's F1 Grand Prix cars were using Honda engines. Although it's true I had thought it would have been better to put a larger engine, the moment I drove the Honda NSX, all the benchmark cars—Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini-I had been using as references in the development of my car vanished from my mind. Of course the car we would create, the McLaren F1, needed to be faster than the NSX, but the NSX's ride quality and handling would become our new design target. Being a fan of Honda engines, I later went to Honda's Tochigi Research Center on two occasions and requested that they consider building for the McLaren F1 a 4.5 litre V10 or V12. I asked, I tried to persuade them, but in the end could not convince them to do it, and the McLaren F1 ended up equipped with a BMW engine."
Later, a pair of Ultima MK3 kit cars, chassis numbers 12 and 13, "Albert" and "Edward", the last two MK3s, were used as "mules" to test various components and concepts before the first cars were built. Number 12 was used to test the gearbox with a 7.4 litre Chevrolet V8, plus various other components such as the seats and the brakes. Number 13 was the test of the V12, plus exhaust and cooling system. When McLaren was done with the cars they destroyed both of them to keep away the specialist magazines and because they did not want the car to be associated with "kit cars".
The car was first unveiled at a launch show, 28 May 1992, at The Sporting Club in Monaco. The production version remained the same as the original prototype (XP1) except for the wing mirror which, on the XP1, was mounted at the top of the A-pillar. This car was deemed not road legal as it had no indicators at the front; McLaren was forced to make changes on the car as a result (some cars, including Ralph Lauren's, were sent back to McLaren and fitted with the prototype mirrors). The original wing mirrors also incorporated a pair of indicators which other car manufacturers would adopt several years later.
The car's safety levels were first proved when during a testing in Namibia in April 1993, a test driver wearing just shorts and a T-shirt hit a rock and rolled the first prototype car several times. The driver managed to escape unscathed. Later in the year, the second prototype (XP2) was specially built for crashtesting and passed with the front wheel arch untouched.
[Text from Wikipedia
This Lego miniland-scale McLaren F1 (1997), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.
This particular vehicle (Chassis 066) was auctioned by the Gooding & Company Auction house in August, 2013, where it sold for $8.47 million
The world's fastest shed...! First seen on George Clarke's "Amazing sheds of the year" programme and spotted today in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. #77 'Quirky or unusual' for 116 pictures in 2016. (Phone shot)
some call him the flying wombat
say his strength is in his moustache
and their golden locks of whisper
either or, he's one of the best,
and i'll be damned if he aint
the faster man i ever saw...
Fastest legal speed I've ever driven. I didn't even mind slowing to down to drive the speed limit!
I asked Gene if the camera would see a water mirage as our eyes do when we drive on hot pavement during the summer. Well here it is.... and yes, it does. I can assure you this is not a rain puddle on the road.
A Guinness World record holder
76.625 kph or 47.64 mph
The Cedar Rocket, is a 240-year-old cedar tree, felled and mounted on the chassis of a Mazda RX-8. Power comes from an electric engine attached directly to the rear differential, with a couple of electric turbofans added because they look kinda neat. - See more at: www.nsnews.com/braking-news-world-s-fastest-log-car-made-...
2017 Vancouver International Auto Show
This is a Bronzeback tree snake called as "Komberi Mookan" in tamil. This snake is a hunter which is present mostly on branches of trees. One of the fastest snakes in India. :)
To see in Large & Black Press L .
You think this may be ur Fav Press F.
Details:
Exposure Time:1/40 sec
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Model:Canon 50D
Yep, this Alfa Romeo Giulia must be the fastest taxi in Latin america jeje
taken somewhere near Huatulco Oaxaca during La Carrera Panamericana 2009 in mexico.
Please buy my posters and more products in my store
WFS - "worlds fastest stock car" advertised in 1935, the Auburn Speedster, a remarkable beauty enjoying the 2017 beach of Malibu
EVS2-01 "Sapsan" (Siemens Velaro RUS) heading to Moscow from St. Petersburgh during its certification tests.
Oktyabrskaya railway, Main line, Moscow region, near Firsanovka platf.
1988 Jaguar XJ 220 concept car...only 281 of these were produced from 1992-4 with an initial pricetag of £400,000...213 mph was clocked making it the fastest production car at the time...Gaydon...Aug 23 2015.
I couldn't make up my mind which image I liked best, so uploaded all of them for a series.
Part of my Usain Bolt series of digital art
Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man.
©jackiecrossley
ანა ლომინაძემ (საქართველო) ბორკილითა და ჯაჭვით ხელფეხშეკრულ მდგომარეობაში 25 მეტრი გაცურა 21.76 წამში, 2014 წლის 3 აპრილს, დიღმის საცურაო აუზზე (თბილისი, საქართველო).
Ana Lominadze (Georgia) swam 25 meters in 21.76 seconds while wearing the handcuffs and leg irons on 3 April 2014, at the Dighomi Swimming Pool in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Heh, these lot are one of the fastest buses in the world!
Well, this isn't THE fastest, but one of its cousins, let's say.
Indeed, Reading Buses own the fastest bus recorded in the world (for what I am aware of), running totally on bio fuel! So before you throw your cow poop in the bin, how about send some over here. We like cow poop. :]
We use them to fuel brilliant ScaniaK270UBs, which have a very nice Alexander Dennis Enviro300 body. They are one of the best buses I've seen around, yet the only Enviro300s I have ever been on. This also is one of my first photos using the Canon aka KABOOM PowerShot SX610 HS.
I thought this was nice so, up you go YN14 MXU! I'm currently in Reading right now in fact. Took this photo yesterday on the 28th of April 2017 on a Friday evening, though it looks pretty bright for 5pm...
Took a shot of the start of the mens "flags" final and was amused by the mixture of expressions on show here.Actually it's more interesting than the close-ups ,in my opinion but not everyone would agree, I suspect :-) .
Designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone. Regarded as the first supercar with a mid-engined lay-out. When released, it was the fastest production road car. 764 built between 1966 and 1973.
3.929 cc
V12
390 hp
399 Nm
Vmax : 290 km/h
0-100 km/h : 4,5 sec
1.293 kg
Expo : Supercar Story
17/12/2021 - 23/01/2022
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
January 2022
Spirit of Australia is a speed boat built by Ken Warby that broke and set the world water speed record on 8 October 1978. It is still the fastest boat!
If you want to see more micro-MOC (with instructions), check out the following book, for which I contributed some models:
Tiny LEGO Wonders - www.nostarch.com/tinylegowonders
Or check out my rebrickable page:
Porsche Rennsport Reunion V - The owner of this car was happy for my help pushing it back to the pits and said it was the fastest the car had run all day. I hope his day improved!
Fastest flying insect on the planet , Dragonfly's are important predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, wasps .
Worlds Fastest Handicapped Athelete Said-I am Ready Najeeb.
This Lovely and Sweet Young Man is Alan Fontiles is From Brazil who won the 100 Meteres Race.
He Speaks a Little English and is Very Loving and Effectionate.
I was Lucky to Meet Him and Take His Photographs.
Thank You for your Kind Visits and Comments.Appreciated.
Najeeb
American Speedfest 8 Returned to Brands Hatch for another Fantastic American themed weekend Featuring the likes of Euro Nascar Legends and even Angelo American Formula 5000's Racing this weekender event was shaping up to be a good one.
The First Day was mostly focused on Qualifying with many of the Races taking Place on the Sunday. Each of the Teams was both busy in the outer Paddock and the Pitlane getting their cars ready for a shakedown session in which they would have to Qualify to see who could be the Fastest and take Pole Position for each of the Races come Sunday.
Angelo American Formula 5000
The Formula 5000's made a Thunderous return to the Brands Hatch circuit, Built during a time where many Formula 1 cars from the likes of Lotus Williams and McLaren we using Ground Effect and pushing up the speeds of their cars.
Formula 5000's took speeds to a whole new level by using V8 Engines to power their cars which were found to be even faster than those Formula 1 cars of that era on the straights of different race tracks. Chevron B37's and McRae GM1'S were amongst the field and Qualifying looked to be very close indeed.
In First Place taking Pole Position and The Fastest Lap was (Neil Glover) in his Chevron B37 with a Lap Time of 47.039 with an average speed of 92.44mph. An Insanely Fast Lap Time for Brands Hatches Indy Circuit.
In Second Place was (Mark Campfield) in his Chevron B24 with A Lap Time Of 47.694 and an Average Speed of 91.17mph still Impressively quick for Chevron Power.
In Third Place was (Greg Thornton) in his Chevron B24 with A Lap Time Of 47.775 with an Average Speed of 91.02mph showing the power of the Chevron Engine through every turn.
A Tightly Packed Grid for Sundays Race and it looks like its a Chevron Front Row lockout but who's car will have the power to Triumph over the others? only time will tell.
Bernie's Sports And V8's
Bernie's V8's were up next and showcased a lot of Impressive V8 Powered Machinery on the grid. Talbot Sunbeams, Austin Healey's and even MGB GT V8 powered Machinery hitting the Track during Qualifying. Lets see what V8 Power can do and which Drivers managed to tame the Beasts and make it into the top three.
In First Place Taking Pole Position and the Fastest Lap was the Duo of (Elis Mar/Elis Mat) in their Talbot Sunbeam Lotus with a Lap Time of 54.533 and an Average speed of 79.74mph. Fast and Furious Driving on display once again.
In Second Place was (James Plant) in his Austin Healey 106 with a Lap Time of 54.964 and an Average Speed of 79.11mph. Very Quick and Consistent Laps seen from James behind the wheel too.
In Third Place was the Duo of (Can/Wilson) in their Aston Martin V8 Vantage with a lap time of 55.397 and an Average speed of 78.49mph. Showing just how much power and Grunt that Aston has.
Another Fantastic set of V8 Powered Machines on Display showing the true power of the American Built V8'S and how they changed the game in terms of Racing and Road Going Cars. Who will win the Race on Sunday. Will have to wait and see.
Legends Cars Championship
Referred to as the Little Pocket Rockets these small Looking Cars may not loo like they have anything Special to offer but just wait until you see what these little Wolves in Sheep's clothing can do once out on the Track.
Using Motorbike Engines of 1200cc they Really do show on Track just how lightweight and fast they are and Slip Streaming is commonly a way of being able to Achieve a Faster Lap time by using the Driver in fronts Slip Stream to aid in the Aerodynamics of the Car and Reduce Drag. Lets see what Happened during Qualifying Heat 2
In First Place Taking Pole and Setting The Fastest Lap was (Chris Dewey) in his Legend with a Lap Time Of 56.700 with an Average Speed of 76.69mph. Crazy Fast for Something so small and yet very Agile in Control.
In Second Place was (Stephen Whitelegg) in his Legend 34 Ford Coupe with a Lap Time of 56.740 and an Average Speed of 76.64mph. First And Second look to be very close together Thanks to the aids in Slip Streaming down the Brabham Straight to gain positions or Fastest Laps.
In Third Place was (Miles Rudman) in his Legend 34 Coupe with a Lap Time Of 56.878. Very Close between the Top three and it just goes to show how Important Slip Streaming is to Gain an Advantage in this Qualifying Session.
Exciting Stuff Ahead of The
Legends Races on Sunday where One of the Drivers will Win the Race and Take the Victory, Who Will it be? Only Time Will Tell.
Nascar Whelen Euro Series-Pro
The Main Highlight Event of the Day and the Nascar's with their Thunderous Powered V8 Engines Roared onto the Indy Circuit and with Two Formation Laps Completed to Warm Up the Tyres every car was released to Start Qualifying. Lets See How the Grid Will Shape Up.
In First Place to Take Pole and The Fastest Lap was (Alon Day) in his Chevrolet Camaro Caal Racing with a Lap Time of 48.903 and an Average Speed of 88.92mph. I wonder if Marty McFly and Dock Brown were part of their Race Team to Achieve that Impressive Lap Time? Non the Less Amazing Work by Alon Day.
In Second Place was (Loris Hezemans) in his Ford Mustang Hedrik's Motorsport) with a Lap Time of 49.000 and an Average Speed of 88.74mph. Another Fast and Consistent Lap From Loris showing the Balance Between Driver and Car.
In Third Place was (Nicolo Rocca) in his Chevrolet Camaro DF1 Racing) with A Lap Time of 49.292 and an Average Speed of 88.22mph. All Three Drivers seem to be very close in terms of Lap Times and this will make for some Exciting Racing Come Race Day.
Close and Competitive Racing in Nascar-Pro but who will have the Power to Push even Harder and take Home The Victory come Race Day. We will have to wait and See.
EuroNascar-2
Euro Nascar-2 is A a series of Slightly Lower Tuned Nascar's that Features as a Way of Getting Drivers ready to head to the Big Time Nascar Racing that takes Place at Daytona and Indianapolis.
Drivers must First Prove themselves worthy by Starting out from the Bottom and Only The Best Drivers in the World can make it into Nascar's Top Level Racing Teams.
Lets See how the Grid Lines up and see who managed to Qualify the Fastest and take Pole Position.
In First Place and Taking Pole Position and The Fastest Lap was (Advait DeoDHar) in his Ford Mustang Caal Racing with A Lap Time Of 49.918 and An Average Speed of 87.11mph. A Really Well Controlled Lap and a very Focused Mind to Achieve such a Drive.
In Second Place was (Tobias Dauenhauer) in his Ford Mustang Hendriks Motorsport with a Lap Time Of 50.110 and an Average Speed Of 86.78mph. Really Well Done and a very Quick Driver and Car underneath Him.
In Third Place was (Justin Kunz ) in his Chevrolet Camaro DF1 Racing with A Lap Time Of 50.161. Very Fast and Consistent with the Top Three all Very Close and Ready to take on the Race and see who can Battle and Fight for a Victory.
An Exciting Qualifying Session for both Nascar-Pro and Euro Nascar-2 with Each set of Driver Showing the Speed Power and Machinery of the Great American State. Looking Forward To Seeing what Happens During The Race.
Pickup Trucks Championship
The Pickup Trucks Returned to Brands Hatch for Another High Speed Weekend of Flat Out Racing around the Indy Circuit. With Light Weight Chassis and Powerful Engines it was shaping up to be a very Large and Competitive Grid for Pickup Trucks.
In First Place Taking Pole Position and the Fastest Lap was (Reece Jones) in his Pick Up Truck 2000 with a Lap Time of 52.634 with an Average Speed of 82.61mph.
In Second Place was (George Turiccki) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with A Lap Time of 52.706mph and an average speed of 82.50mph.
In Third Place was (Mark Willis) in his Pickup Truck 2000 with A Lap Time of 52.976 and an Average Speed of 82.08mph.
Three Very Quick and Capable Drivers all Fighting for the Victory In Tomorrow's Race but who will be up to the challenge of Taking 1st Place and Winning. Only One Way To Find Out.
Speedfest Silhouettes
Formally Known as the Silhouettes the Super Silhouettes Brought with them some fast and impressive Space Frame Machinery to the track.
With Aero Packages and Light Weight Monacock Chassis these Monsters were going to be something Amazing to watch Race.
But First Lets See how Qualifying Shapes up.
In First Place Taking Pole and The Fastest Lap was (Ray Harris in his Ginetta G40r with a Lap Time of 50.564 and an Average speed of 86.00mph. Either Crazy or Insane I would Describe that Incredible Lap of Brands. Amazing Work.
In Second Place was (Malcom Blackman) in his Vauxhall Tigra with A Lap Time of 50.805 and an Average Speed of 85.59mph Another Crazy Quick and on the Edge Lap.
In Third Place was (Lewis Smith) in his Mercedes SLK with a Lap Time of 51.313 and an Average Speed of 84.74mph. Three Very Fast and Capable Drivers in this Qualifying Session.
Incredible Speed and Fast Reflex Driving From Each Driver out there. It will be Exciting to see who can bring home a Victory and push their Machinery past its Limits and into New Territory. Another Race I'm Looking Forward to Seeing.
A Brilliant End to the Days Qualifying and seeing all that Machinery out there was Fantastic. Congratulations to all of the Qualifiers who made the Top Three in Every Support Race. Looking Ford To Tomorrow and a Very Fierce Set Of Battles Thought the Day.
The only Jaguar XJ220 in the world that lived up to its name, being fitted with a stunning V12 engine and making it the world's fastest production car. However, costs, setbacks, a recession or two and a myriad of other problems resulted in the dream becoming a nightmare, and the match of styling and power made in heaven being turned quickly into a BDSM session in hell!
The proposal for the Jaguar XJ220 seemed to come right out of nowhere. In 1986 the company was sold to Ford after ownership under British Leyland, and was producing a selection of strange luxury motors including the XJS and the XJ, which, although were very good and highly luxury machines, weren't exactly setting the world on fire.
But racing had been put forward to the company before, and racing team owner Tom Walkinshaw encouraged Jaguar to put one of their XJS's into the 1981 European Touring Car Championship, in which they succeeded in winning the competition in 1984. Jaguar had started to provide factory support to racing team Group 44 Racing, who were using the Jaguar-engined XJR-5 in the IMSA GT Championship, supplying V12 engines from 1983 onwards and supporting a Le Mans entry in 1984. Tom Walkinshaw and Jaguar agreed to entering the FIA Group C World Sportscar Championship and developed the XJR-6, which was powered by the Jaguar V12 engine; the car was launched during the 1985 season.
TWR took over the IMSA GT Championship operation in 1988 and one model – Jaguar XJR-9 – was launched to compete in both series. The XJR-9, which retained the Jaguar V12 engine, went on to win the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Sportscar Championship in the same year. The poor fuel consumption of the Jaguar V12 combined with new rules restricting refuelling during races forced the replacement of the V12 engine in the XJR-9s successors, the XJR-10 and XJR-11. The normally-aspirated Austin Rover V64V engine, designed for the MG Metro 6R4 had recently been made redundant thanks to the Group B rally ban in 1987, and the design rights were for sale. The compact, lightweight and fuel efficient nature of the small-displacement, turbocharged engine was investigated by TWR, who considered it an ideal basis for a new engine to power the XJR-10 and purchased the design rights from Austin Rover Group.
Jaguar and their Director of Engineering, Jim Randle, felt these racing cars were too far removed from the product available to the general public, especially with the rule changes that mandated the replacement of the Jaguar V12 engine in the forthcoming XJR-10 and XJR-11 racing cars. Therefore a project was initiated to design and build a car capable of winning Le Mans "in house", just as the Jaguar C-Type and D-Type had done. The groundwork for the project was undertaken by Randle over Christmas 1987, when he produced a 1:4 scale cardboard model of a potential Group B racing car.
The cardboard model was taken into the Jaguar styling studio and two mock-ups were produced. One was said to be reminiscent of the Porsche 956, the other took elements of the then current Jaguar XJ41 project and Malcolm Sayer's work on the stillborn Jaguar XJ13 racing car.
The project still had no official support, leaving Randle no option but to put together a team of volunteers to work evenings and weekends in their own time. The team came to be known as "The Saturday Club", and consisted of twelve volunteers. To justify the resources consumed by the project, the XJ220 needed to provide meaningful data to the engineers on handling, aerodynamics, particularly at high speeds, and aluminium structures. These requirements, together with FIA racing regulations and various government regulations governing car design and safety influenced the overall design and engineering direction of the car.
The FIA Group B regulations steered the concept towards a mid-engine, four-wheel drive layout, with a Jaguar V12 engine as the power source. The concept car was designed and built at very little cost to Jaguar, as Randle called in favours from component suppliers and engineering companies he and Jaguar had worked with in the past. In return he offered public recognition for their assistance and dangled the possibility of future contracts from Jaguar.
The name XJ220 was chosen as a continuation of the naming of the Jaguar XK120, which referred to the top speed of the model in miles per hour. The concept car had a targeted top speed of 220 mph so became the XJ220. The XK120, like the XJ220, was an aluminium-bodied sports car, and when launched was the fastest production car in the world.
Jaguar and engine designer Walter Hassan had previously created a 48-valve variant of their V12 engine specifically for motorsport use. It featured a double overhead camshaft layout with four valves per cylinder, compared with the single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder of the production engine, which was used in the Jaguar XJ and Jaguar XJS models at the time.
TWR and Cosworth had manufactured a number of these racing V12 engines during the 1980s and they had been raced competitively, with a 7-litre version of this engine featuring in the Le Mans winning Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9. Five of these engines still existed, all of which were fitted with dry sump lubrication. These engines were chosen and considered to be especially useful as the dry sump would lower the vehicle's centre of gravity. The displacement of the V12 was set at 6.2L for the XJ220.
Jaguar had little experience with four-wheel drive systems at the time, having previously only produced rear-wheel drive cars. Randle approached Tony Rolt's company, FF Developments to design the transmission and four-wheel drive system for the XJ220, with Rolt's son Stuart running the project. Tony Rolt was the Technical Director of Ferguson Research, where he was heavily involved in the design of the four-wheel drive system used in the Jensen FF, the first sports car to be fitted with such a transmission. Tony Rolt also had a long involvement with Jaguar, winning the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans with the factory works team driving the Jaguar C-Type.
The mid-engine complicated the design of the four-wheel drive system, and an innovative solution was needed to get drive from the rear of the engine to the front wheels. The chosen design took the front-wheel drive from the central differential on the rear transaxle and sent it through the V in the centre of the engine using a quill drive, before joining an inverted differential. The clutch was a twin-plate unit designed by AP Racing.
The design brief for the exterior restricted the use of aerodynamic aids, and aimed for a stylish yet functional body similar to the Jaguar D-Type. Drag and lift were limited at the envisioned ground clearance for road use, but the design allowed for additional downforce when the car was set up for racing; the body produced around 3,000 lb of downforce at 200 mph. The design was also intended to have a variable rear wing that folded into the bodywork at lower speeds. Aerodynamic work was undertaken at the Motor Industry Research Association wind tunnel using a 1:4 scale model, as the project was unable to budget for a full-scale mock-up.
The bodywork for the concept car displayed in 1988 was hand built from aluminium by Park Sheet Metal, a specialist automotive engineering company that manufactures concept cars and low-volume, niche models for various manufacturers, including Bentley. QCR Coatings undertook final painting of the bodyshell in silver. The concept also featured electrically operated scissor doors and a transparent engine cover to show off the V12 engine.
The concept car had a Connolly Leather-trimmed interior produced by Callow & Maddox, and was fitted with front and rear heated windscreens, electric windows, air conditioning, heated electrically adjustable seats with an Alpine Electronics CD player. The dashboard was supplied by Veglia.
The concept car was completed in the early hours of 18 October 1988, the day it was due to be unveiled at the British International Motor Show, being held at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
Jaguar's marketing department had allocated space on their stand at the motor show for the XJ220, but had not seen the vehicle until its arrival. Jaguar chairman John Egan and Roger Putnam, who was in charge of Jaguar's racing activities, were shown the vehicle the week before the motor show and signed off on the concept, allowing its unveiling. The car received an overwhelmingly positive reception by public and press, and a number of wealthy Jaguar enthusiasts handed over blank cheques to secure a purchase option should the XJ220 concept go into production. Ferrari displayed their F40 model at the same event; an estimated 90,000 additional visitors came to see the Jaguar and Ferrari cars.
The XJ220 was not initially intended to be a production car, but, following the reception of the concept and financial interest from serious buyers, a feasibility study was carried out by teams from TWR and Jaguar. Its conclusion was that such a car would be technically feasible, and that it would be financially viable. The announcement of a limited production run of 220 to 350 cars came on 20 December 1989. The list price on 1 January 1990 was £290,000 exclusive of value added tax, options and delivery charges, but by 1992 that had increased considerably owing to indexation of contracts. The offer was four times oversubscribed, and deposits of £50,000 exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) were taken from around 1400 customers; first deliveries were planned for mid-1992.
What Jaguar didn't reckon on was that the 1990's were going to get off to a very bad start, with a good old fashioned recession to usher in the new decade. This, combined with the various downgrades that would have to follow to make the car road legal, would result in the Jaguar XJ220 giving the company and the customers headaches in more ways than one.
In 1991, the company constructed a new £4 million factory at Wykham Mill, Bloxham, for the single purpose of building the XJ220, the plant being opened by the late Princess Diana. But, in order to comply with a variety of road legislation, engineering requirements resulted in significant changes to the specification of the XJ220, most notably replacement of the Jaguar V12 engine by a turbocharged V6 engine.This downgraded engine made that desirable rocket car more run-of-the-mill, and many pulled back their deposits.
At the same time the economy collapsed and when the first production cars left the factory in 1992, many of the original potential buyers who had put down their hefty deposits found that they couldn't afford it, and wanted their money back. Many of them cited the fact that the four wheel drive, V12 had been downgraded to a two wheel drive, V6, and thus they weren't getting what they paid for. The result was that Jaguar went so far as to take their customers to court, and forced them to buy a car they no longer wanted, the problem being exacerbated by the fact that in 1993, the McLaren F1 took the title of world's fastest production car, was available with the V12 and all things it promised, and was much smaller and more manageable than the bulky XJ220.
A total of just 275 cars were produced by the time production ended, 22 of their LHD models never being sold, each with a retail price of £470,000 in 1992, probably one of the biggest automotive flops in motoring history, right up there with the DeLorean and the Edsel. But this would later be advantageous for many, as this pedigree 'worlds-fastest-car' machine would go in later years for a much lower price. £150,000 mind you, but it's a lot better buying the one's that weren't sold at this reduced price, than at the initial asking price back in 1992. Therefore buyers were able to procure themselves a first-hand XJ220, for half the price, a representative saving of nearly £250,000.
Today the XJ220's are rare beasts indeed, rarely coming out to play due largely to their expensive upkeep, heavy fuel consumption and sheer size. But keep your eyes open in some of the more affluent neighbourhoods, be they Dubai, Beverley Hills, or the South of France, and chances are you'll be able to find one.
Spirit of Australia is a speed boat built by Ken Warby that broke and set the world water speed record on 8 October 1978. It is still the fastest boat!
If you want to see more micro-MOC (with instructions), check out the following book, for which I contributed some models:
Tiny LEGO Wonders - www.nostarch.com/tinylegowonders
Or check out my rebrickable page:
This one was actually kind of interesting. It is a really light pellet from Crossman.
It goes 1150 fps as measured by the CameraAxe.
It does not impact as much as powder.
Cheers.
Once the fastest production car in the world, the Jaguar XK120 was Jaguar's first new product following the end of the war, being designed in those dark final days of the conflict and being developed over the next three years, making its début in 1948.
The XK120 was launched in open two-seater form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine. The display car was the first prototype, chassis number 670001. It looked almost identical to the production cars except that the straight outer pillars of its windscreen would be curved on the production version. The roadster caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production.
Beginning in 1948, the first 242 cars wore wood-framed open 2-seater bodies with aluminium panels. Production switched to the 112lb heavier all-steel in early 1950. The "120" in the name referred to the aluminium car's 120 mph top speed, which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch. Engine models ranged from a 160bhp DOHC Straight-6 Double SU H6 low end model, to the fastest version which was powered by a 210bhp DOHC Straight-6 Double SU H8, giving the car a top speed of 124mph, which in 1949 was a spectacular feat when compared to the Austins and Morris' of the time.
On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph with the windscreen replaced by just one small aeroscreen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, and 135 mph with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place. In 1950 and 1951, at a banked oval track in France, XK120 roadsters averaged over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 mph for an hour, and in 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.
The Motor magazine road-tested an XK120 roadster in November 1949. This pre-production car, chassis number 670001, road-registered as HKV 455, was the first prototype built. It was also the 1948 London Motor Show display model, and had been driven by Prince Bira in the 1949 Silverstone Production Car Race. The magazine reported a top speed of 124.6 mph, acceleration from 0–60 mph in 10.0 seconds and fuel consumption of 19.8 miles per imperial gallon. The car as tested cost £1263 including taxes.
In 1949 the first production roadster, chassis number 670003, was delivered to famous actor Clark Gable.
The XK120 was ultimately available in two open versions, first as an open 2-seater described in the US market as the roadster, then also as a drophead coupé from 1953; and also as a closed, or fixed head coupé from 1951.
Production of the car ended in 1954 after 12,055 examples were constructed, being replaced by the Jaguar XK140. Today you'd be hard pressed to find XK120's on a regular basis, but if you attend car shows like me you'd be likely to find at least one show up.
Most notably though, the car returned to the centre stage of modern motoring through a spectacularly organised and choreographed race between the presenters of Top Gear on their Race to the North, a competition set in a hypothetical 1949 between the primary modes of transport at the time, with James May in the Jaguar XK120, Richard Hammond on a Vincent Blackshadow motorbike, and Jeremy Clarkson on the rebuilt Peppercorn A1 Pacific number 60163 'Tornado'.
The fastest animal on Earth running.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) facts:
Top Speed: 120 km/h (75 mph).
Acceleration: 0 to 103 km/h (64 mph) in 3 seconds (faster than most Super Cars).
Best viewed LARGE.
Martin
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