Inspiration (car)

Inspiration
at the Steam Museum, Swindon
Overview
ManufacturerBritish Steam Car Challenge
DesignerGlynne Bowsher
Body and chassis
ClassLand Speed Record (steam)
ChassisSteel space frame
Powertrain
EngineTwo stage turbine driven by superheated steam
Dimensions
Length7.6 m
Width1.7 m
Height1.7 m
Curb weight3 tons
Chronology
PredecessorStanley Steamer

Inspiration is a British-designed and -built steam-propelled car designed by Glynne Bowsher and developed by the British Steam Car Challenge team.[1][2]

Inspiration holds the World Land Speed Record for a steam-powered vehicle on 25 August 2009, driven by Charles Burnett III with an average speed of 139.8 mph (225 km/h)[3] over two consecutive runs over a measured mile. This broke the and longest-standing land speed record set in 1906 by Fred Marriott in the Stanley Steamer.[4] On 26 August 2009 the car, driven by Don Wales, broke a second record by achieving an average speed of 148.308 mph (239 km/h) over two consecutive runs over a measured kilometre.

The runs were made at Edwards Air Force Base in California, United States. The car is 7.6 m long, 1.7 m wide and weighs 3 tons. It is powered by a two-stage turbine driven by superheated steam from 12 boilers containing distilled water. The boilers are heated by burners which burn Liquid Petroleum Gas to produce 3 Megawatts (10.2 million BTU/hr) of heat. The steam produced is at a temperature of 400 °C (750 °F) and a pressure of 4000 kN/m2 40 bar (580 psi). The engine is capable of developing 288 kW (386 hp; 392 PS) and consumes around 40 litres (8.8 Impgal) of water per minute).[5]

The car has been retired to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu, England.[6]

  • Inspiration running at Edwards Air Force Base

Notes

  1. ^ BSCC teamsteamcar.co.uk Archived 2009-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Land Speed Record Breakers August 2009 '...The Royal Automobile Club Recognises World Land Speed Record Breaking Team...' Archived 2014-07-06 at the Wayback Machine steamcar.co.uk, accessed 1 December 2018
  3. ^ "Charles Burnett III, British-born speed king, dies in helicopter crash". BBC News. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  4. ^ Glaskin, Max, Steam-powered car breaks century-old speed record, 25 August 2009, retrieved 1 December 2018
  5. ^ Vehicle design details steamcar.co.uk, accessed 1 December 2018
  6. ^ British Steam Car ‘Inspiration’ nationalmotormuseum.org.uk, accessed 1 December 2018
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