On one of many longest runways on the planet, a extremely modified Ford GT goes 310.8 mph — with barely sufficient room to cease earlier than hitting the weeds.
Johnny Bohmer is claiming the title of quickest street-legal automobile on the planet. His BADD GT, a 2006 Ford GT, topped 310 mph on the extralong runway on the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
One Owner, Low Miles
Bohmer’s historical past with this Ford GT is a protracted one. He purchased the automobile new in 2006 and from day one the objective was to make it sooner. Not simply that, however to construct the quickest road automobile on the planet and to interrupt the 300mph barrier.
The BADD GT — Bohmer’s identify for the automobile — broke 250 mph within the standing mile in 2010. It then scored a Guinness World Record for the standing mile when it hit 282.232 mph in 2012.
Bohmer is understandably happy with the brand new high pace, however he didn’t have a lot to say concerning the automobile. We do know that it nonetheless has a 5.4L V8, although there isn’t a lot left in it that initially got here from Ford. The engine has twin turbos, and manner again in 2018 it made 2,700 horsepower. Back then it ran to simply shy of 300 mph, so we’re pondering it has an entire lot extra energy right this moment.
Top-Speed Run: A Happy Accident
With much more energy on faucet, a part of what makes the run so spectacular is that Bohmer wasn’t going flat out. He wasn’t even going for a document or a high pace.
The crew was testing the automobile. They had been engaged on the brand new FuelTech FT600 engine administration system and its traction management system. Bohmer stated that the automobile was able to one other 500-700 horsepower. That’s sufficient to present it an much more absurd high pace.
There aren’t many locations with sufficient pavement to allow you to run to 310.8 mph. But Bohmer has a line on among the best. His firm, Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds, has the usage of the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility runway on the Kennedy Space Center.
The 15,000-foot runway is 100 yards vast and has 1,000-foot paved runoff areas. That’s if the unique 3.22 miles of concrete isn’t sufficient. You can see within the video that even with a parachute, the soon-to-be world’s quickest road automobile wanted that further distance.
Other challengers on the runway embrace the SSC Tuatara’s 286.1mph run and a McLaren Speedtail that made it to 250.
“We’ve been blown away by the capabilities of this car,” stated Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage, sponsor of the automobile since 2016. “Johnny and I are committed to showing the world the kind of speed that this car can achieve and feel we can create records that will last for years.”
More Recordings Than Motown
Bohmer took some critical steps to ensure the automobile’s pace was precisely recorded. The timing bundle included 4 Garmin Ultra 30 cameras, a RACELOGIC VBOX Performance Box Touch, the FuelTech ECU, and a RacePak. They’ve additionally turned it into a pleasant quick video with out cuts as a substitute of burying the run on the finish of 9 minutes of preamble. So, thanks.
You can see within the video the run was shockingly clean, although removed from simple. A giant twitch as Bohmer was reaching for the parachute swap may have simply gotten rather more out of hand. And this can be a stick-shift automobile, that means there was just one hand on the wheel at a few of the hardest elements of the run.
World’s Fastest Street Car: Street Cred
What are the automobile’s “street-legal” credentials? It has a plate, with legitimate registration and insurance coverage, for a begin. But it additionally has working air-conditioning, lights and alerts, and even a passenger seat.
Bohmer stated he makes use of the automobile for errands round South Florida — even taking the children (separately) to highschool. And working on E85 similar to it was for the take a look at.
The subsequent step is for Bohmer and the BADD GT to get critical. Once the engine tune is dialed in, the Kennedy Space Center runway is there and ready for the pair to go all out for as a lot of the floor nearly as good sense and security enable.
