Overclocker

ROCESTER, ENGLAND — British earth-moving specialist JCB has unveiled the Dieselmax streamliner, with which it hopes to break the world land speed record for a diesel-engined vehicle. The record attempt will take place on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah during August 2006 and the vehicle will be driven by Wing Commander Andy Green, the fastest man on Earth.

The current record dates back to 1973, when Virgil W. Snyder achieved 236 mph in the Thermo King Streamliner. At the vehicle's unveiling at JCB's headquarters, Green acknowledged that the team wanted to "smash the existing record." A target of 300-plus mph has been set.

The Dieselmax is 9,091 mm long and weighs 5,952 pounds. It's powered by two JCB 5.0-liter common-rail direct-injection turbodiesel engines, based on JCB's heavy plant machinery. The engines have each been tuned to deliver 750 horsepower, with a combined output of 1,500 hp. One drives the front wheels and the other the rears, with a computer-controlled semiautomatic gearshift synchronizing the two.

Green and the JCB team will compete in Speedweek at the Bonneville Salt Flats in August, testing the car up to and beyond 200 mph. A week later, the track will be extended to nine miles for the record attempt. Green will accelerate for four miles, complete the flying mile and then coast to a halt. The team must complete the run in opposite directions within an hour to secure the record.

Sir Richard Noble, who led the Thrust SSC project that took Green to 763.035 mph, is working as a consultant to the team.

Noble reckoned that Green "was the only choice to drive the car." The Royal Air Force wing commander reckons that this is "an entirely different challenge to driving Thrust." The JCB is wheel-driven and Green must learn to modulate the throttle to prevent wheelspin up to around 200 mph. "People will say it's 'only 300 mph,'" he said, "but 300 mph never feels slow."

The team will now test the car in the U.K. before decamping to Utah in early August. Inside Line will be joining them for the attempt.

What this means to you: The fastest man on Earth is back in the hot seat.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=110132#2