What do you get when you cross a speed-obsessed television show and some of the slowest vehicles on the road? A new land-speed record.
Yes, the boys at Top Gear have turned their attention to the “problem” of tractors. These agricultural machines are designed for pulling stuff across fields, and not much else. Speed certainly isn’t in the remit.
Nevertheless, tractors do occasionally have to travel on the UK’s public highways. There’s simply no other way between farm and paddock, and when hauling a trailer full of turnips or manure, they form a rolling road block.
They’re often very courteous about it and most of us drivers are pretty understanding — farms do keep our country fed, after all — but there’s always someone who wants to get past as soon as they can.
Top Gear’s solution? Make the tractors faster.
Under the watchful eye of Matt Le Blanc, self-confessed tractor enthusiast, and presumably a talented workshop full of mechanics who know what they’re doing, Top Gear created the “Track-tor”.
This custom tractor (officially registered in the UK as a Chevrolet Leblanc) uses a 5.7-liter Chevrolet V8 engine good for 500hp. The team also fitted air suspension, four-wheel brakes (usually tractors only have rear wheel brakes) and a hydraulic handbrake that allows each wheel to lock independently.
With Guinness World Records on hand to watch, and the Stig — who else? — driving, the Track-tor blasted through the speed trap at 87.27mph. That betters the old mark by a huge 7.4mph.
Stig looked… unmoved by his new world record, which will appear on the show this Sunday, March 25.
Now we just need Pure Farming 2018 to add it to its vehicles list.
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