The 1000mph Bloodhound SSC Will Use A 542bhp Jaguar V8 Just To Power A Fuel Pump

It’s an impressive bit of kit, the Bloodhound SSC. With the equivalent of 77,500bhp available from the combination of jet engine - the same engine you’ll find in the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet - and a rocket, it should (hopefully) hit 1000mph. But, keeping up with this rocket engine’s thirst is bit of an issue, as it’ll get through 40 litres of rocket fuel every second.

Happily, Jaguar signed a technical partnership with the Bloodhound SSC team earlier this year, so it’ll be supplying one of its 5.0-litre supercharged V8s to power the machine’s fuel pump. Yep, a fuel pump powered by a 542bhp. The unit replaces the 2.4-litre Cosworth F1 engine used in the earlier stages of the project.

If all goes to plan, the Bloodhound SSC will be taken up to 800mph with Wing Commander Andy Green at the wheel next year, smashing his own land speed record of 763mph, which he set aboard Thrust SSC in 1997. If that wasn’t enough, the team will attempt to hit 1000mph in 2016.