Power versus Efficiency for Land Speed Record Vehicles

A computer simulation program has been developed to evaluate vehicle performance for record attempts at the Bonnevile Salt Flats in Utah, USA. A nine mile long straight line course is expected to be available in good weather conditions. Performance data from the unlimited automobile speed record holder is reviewed for comparison with projected speed vs. distance plots of a proposed new vehicle.

The record being challenged, 246 mph, is for a limited displacement vehicle of 2.0 liters or less. The analysis provides comparative results for several techniques for enhanced performance.