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Japan begins testing the world's fastest bullet train
Last week, Japan started testing its latest and fastest bullet train. The Shinkansen ALFA-X is capable of reaching 400 kilometers per hour (249 mph), and it's expected to enter operation around 2030. When it does, the ALFA-X will likely become the world's fastest bullet train, carrying passengers around 360 kph (224 mph).
The Bloodhound supersonic car project is back in action
Earlier this month, it looked like the writing was on the wall for the Bloodhound supersonic car project, as it had failed to acquire the roughly £25 million (approximately $32 million) it needed to keep going. The team was said to be working on selling off its assets, including the unfinished car. But it appears the project is back in action with the Bloodhound team announcing the sale of the business and assets, which will allow the program to continue.
The world's fastest human-powered vehicle just topped 85 mph (update: 86!)
It might look like a kayak on its side, but that vehicle above has just broken the human-powered land speed record. The pilot, Todd Reichert, managed 85.71mph in his "Eta" speedbike on Thursday morning, comfortably besting the previous record of 83.13. Reichert is the pilot for team AeroVelo, and is competing in the World Human Powered Speed Challenge, taking place in Battle Mountain, NV this week. The WHPSC is basically where cyclists put their knees where their mouth is, and attempt to beat the record for pedal-powered speed. The 16th event of its kind, cyclists have a 5-mile run-up to gain speed, before hitting a 200 meter speed trap on a stretch of road hand-picked for its flatness. The magic 200 meter stretch was even specially repaved with the annual event in mind.
AeroVelo is trying to build the world's fastest bicycle
What do you do after you set the record for human-powered flight and bag the Sikorsky Prize by floating around in a pedal-driven helicopter? You break the human-powered speed record, of course -- at least that's what's AeroVelo has planned. The team has made a habit of engineering machines that make the most of the human engine, and their latest project hopes to give mankind the ability to ride bicycles at 87 mph.
North American Eagle project pumps out WiFi, takes aim at land speed records
Most folks would be content if their jet-powered vehicle did nothing but break land speed records, but not so with the team behind the North American Eagle project. They've gone and also stuffed some WiFi equipment inside the nose of the vehicle, which they hope will be able to transmit data back to an experimental mesh WiFi network set up around the dry lake bed while the vehicle is in the process of breaking the sound barrier. That hasn't happened just yet, but the vehicle itself has already topped speeds of 400 miles per hour -- which is only half of what the team eventually hopes to reach.
Chinese passenger train reaches 302mph, claims speed record for unmodified trains
Did you find the 262mph record that China scooped up only two months ago impressive? Well, add another 40mph to that number as today Xinhua News has revealed China's claim to the new speed record for unmodified commercial trains. The new line presently being tested between Beijing and Shanghai has delivered a mind-warping 302mph (486kph) top speed, which is projected to help cut down travel times between the two cities in half, down to a mere five hours. As with the Shanghai-Hangzhou connection that held the record previously, speeds with actual passengers on board will probably be limited to more moderate levels when this connections opens up in 2012, but the Chinese government's goal is still that magical 312mph (500kph) mark -- at this pace, they should be there by Tuesday.
