Inspiration (car)
Inspiration is a British-designed and -built steam-propelled car designed by Glynne Bowsher and developed by the British Steam Car Challenge team.
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 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. On 26 August 2009 the car, driven by Don Wales, broke a second record by achieving an average speed of 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 of heat. The steam produced is at a temperature of 400 °C and a pressure of 4000 kN/m2. The engine is capable of developing and consumes around 40 litres.
The car has been retired to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu, England.