Ian Warhurst wheels in to save 1,000 mph Bloodhound car
Earlier this month, it looked like the dream was over for the Bloodhound supersonic car project. Its future was in jeopardy amid a failure 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 'all but finished' 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.
But Yorkshire-based entrepreneur Ian Warhurst has bought the project for an "undisclosed amount". Mr Warhurst, the managing director of Barnsley engineering firm Melett, said it would have been "criminal" not to continue with the record attempt.
"Ian has a strong background in managing highly successful businesses in the automotive engineering sector," The Bloodhound Project wrote on its website.
Administrator Andrew Sheridan said: "Ian has a strong background in managing highly successful businesses in the automotive engineering sector and he will bring considerable expertise to bear in taking the project forward."
The purchase was settled for an undisclosed amount, so it's unclear if the project will actually receive the £25 million it was seeking.
The Bristol-based team behind the Bloodhound project aims to beat the existing land speed world record of 763mph (1,228km/h).
It is due to attempt to reach a record-breaking speed in South Africa, where an 18km-long (11-mile), 1,500m-wide (4,921ft) track at Hakskeen Pan in the Northern Cape has been prepared.
Previous test runs at Newquay Airport in 2017 saw Bloodhound reach speeds of 200mph (320km/h).
The project planned on running on Hakskeen Pan towards the end of 2019, when the water in the lakebed evaporated and the ground had become dry.
The Bloodhound, using a Rolls-Royce Eurofighter engine alongside a rocket, was then due to be tested at 500-600mph (800-965km/h) before approaching its top speed in further test runs during 2020 or 2021.
Warhurst will detail his plans for the future of Bloodhound SSC early in 2019.