A nearly 50-year-old Mini souped up by a group of Kiwis has blown a Bonneville Salt Flats speed record out of the water, scorching across the salt at 251km/h.
The 1964 Mini Cooper 970S is the centrepiece of Project `64, a group of New Zealanders who this week overtook the previous record of 210km/h for an under 1000cc production car on the salt flats in the US state of Utah.
On Thursday morning, local time, the highly tuned Mini recorded an average speed of 236km/h over two runs and subsequently clocked 251km/h, with Nelson Hartley, the brother of racing driver Brendon Hartley, at the wheel.
"We are pretty happy with all that's happened," Project `64's Mike Wilson told NZ Newswire.
Mr Wilson said he felt the car was reaching its top speed.
Project '64 was started two years ago by Nelson's Garry Orton and Guy Griffiths. It has attracted $100,000 in sponsorship.
Mr Wilson said the biggest problem was finding a place to legally test the car in New Zealand, and nowhere could match the conditions of the salt flats.
It was 35C but with the sun bouncing off the salt it felt like 45c. The temperature caused a few problems with the engine but the team had received a lot of help from local engineers.
Once speed week at Bonneville finishes the Mini will be brought back to New Zealand.
Mr Wilson said the next project may be Pikes Peak International Hill Climb at Colorado Springs.
NZN
