The 1,000mph Office

The Bloodhound SSC project aims to be the first ever car to travel at a speed of 1,000mph. In this video clip, driver Andy Green takes us inside the development of what he calls “his office” – a lightweight monocoque cockpit, capable of enduring the vehicle’s extreme forces, including its 130,000 horsepower jet and rocket engines.

The result of over 10,000 hours of engineering and development effort, the 7-layer carbon fiber structure is made to offer the strongest possible safety cell for its driver, while weighing just 485 pounds.

A special aerodynamic canopy helps reduce the speed of the airflow going into the jet engine, as speeds greater than 750mph will have a detrimental effect on the jet’s efficiency. Atop the canopy, a special 25mm thick optically clear acrylic windscreen has been developed to keep Andy’s face from being ripped off, and to resist (god forbid) bird strikes.

Inside, the vehicle has a rocketship-like set of controls and displays, which enable Andy to monitor every aspect of the vehicle’s condition, including speed, wheel loads, engine pressure and fuel levels among other things. While most systems are electronic, there are also physical backup mechanisms for the parachute and fuel supplies for added safety.