The Fastest Land Speed Ever Recorded

The fastest officially recognized land speed is 763.035 mph (1,227.985 km/h), set by the jet-powered car ThrustSSC on October 15, 1997, in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. For context, this is the current FIA-certified world land-speed record for cars; while rail-guided rocket sleds on test tracks have gone far faster—exceeding Mach 8 (over 6,000 mph)—they are not eligible for the car land-speed record.

What “fastest on land” actually means

When people ask about the fastest land speed ever recorded, they often mean the official world land-speed record for cars. That record is governed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), which sets strict rules on how speeds are measured and validated. Separately, military test facilities have propelled rocket sleds to much higher velocities on rails; those feats happen on land, but they are not classified as car records.

The following points clarify the two commonly referenced categories and how they differ.

• FIA world land-speed record (cars): A steerable vehicle running on wheels over a measured course, completing two runs in opposite directions within one hour; the average speed is the record.
• Rail-guided rocket sleds: Unmanned sleds propelled by rockets along steel rails at military test tracks; they have achieved speeds well above Mach 8 but are not considered “car” records and are outside FIA rules.

Taken together, these definitions explain why a supersonic car holds the official record while rocket sleds retain the distinction of the fastest land-based vehicles in absolute terms.

The official world land-speed record (cars)

ThrustSSC, designed by a British team led by project director Richard Noble and driven by Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green, set the standing record of 763.035 mph (1,227.985 km/h) on October 15, 1997. The runs took place on the dry lakebed of Black Rock Desert in Nevada, and the car became the first—and so far only—wheel-driven land vehicle to go supersonic under FIA rules, edging just beyond the local speed of sound (approximately Mach 1.02 under the day’s conditions).

How the record was measured

Under FIA regulations, the record speed is the average of two timed runs over a measured distance (typically one mile or one kilometer) made in opposite directions within one hour, minimizing the effects of wind and gradient. ThrustSSC’s performance met these criteria and has been recognized globally ever since. No subsequent FIA-certified attempt has exceeded it as of October 2025.

Faster still: rocket sleds on rails

On a separate track—literally—the U.S. Air Force’s Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) in New Mexico has propelled rail-guided rocket sleds to extreme velocities for research and weapons testing. Publicly reported top speeds at Holloman have exceeded Mach 8 (over 6,000 mph or 10,000 km/h). Because these sleds run on rails and are not steerable wheeled vehicles, they are not eligible for FIA land-speed records, but they remain the fastest devices ever to travel across the ground.

Recent and upcoming attempts

After two decades without a new record, the Bloodhound LSR program reignited interest. In late 2019, the team ran high-speed tests on South Africa’s Hakskeenpan, reaching 628 mph (1,010 km/h). Despite periodic relaunches and fundraising rounds aimed at a future record attempt beyond 800 mph, no FIA-certified record run has taken place, and ThrustSSC’s 1997 benchmark still stands as of 2025.

Key facts and clarifications

To help distinguish the figures most often cited in conversations about the fastest speeds on land, here are the essential takeaways.

• Official FIA world land-speed record (car): 763.035 mph (1,227.985 km/h) by ThrustSSC, Andy Green, Black Rock Desert, October 15, 1997.
• Fastest speed achieved on land by any vehicle: Rail-guided rocket sleds at the U.S. Air Force’s Holloman High Speed Test Track have surpassed Mach 8 (over 6,000 mph), but these are not FIA land-speed records.
• Fastest human-occupied sled on land: In 1954, USAF physician Col. John Stapp reached roughly 632 mph (1,017 km/h) on a rocket sled, enduring extreme deceleration forces during biomedical research.
• Status as of 2025: ThrustSSC’s official car record still stands; Bloodhound LSR’s fastest verified test speed is 628 mph (2019), with no certified record attempt yet.

These points capture the difference between officially recognized car records and the higher absolute speeds achieved on rail-guided test sleds, which are impressive but belong to a distinct category.

Sources and methodology

The official car record is maintained by the FIA and widely documented by Guinness World Records and the ThrustSSC team. Information about rocket sled speeds comes from publicly released U.S. Air Force materials on the Holloman High Speed Test Track. Speeds in Mach are approximate, as the speed of sound varies with temperature and altitude.

Summary

The fastest officially recognized land speed is 763.035 mph (1,227.985 km/h), achieved by ThrustSSC in 1997—still the standing FIA world land-speed record for cars. In absolute terms, the highest speeds attained on land belong to rail-guided rocket sleds, which have exceeded Mach 8, but those do not qualify as car records. Despite modern efforts like Bloodhound LSR, no one has yet surpassed ThrustSSC’s certified milestone.

Has a car ever hit 400 mph?

Yes, multiple “cars” (referring to wheel-driven, ground vehicles) have exceeded 400 mph, with Mickey Thompson’s Challenger 1 reaching 406.6 mph in 1960, although it was an unofficial speed due to a failed return run. More recently, Danny Thompson achieved an official wheel-driven record of 448 mph in Challenger 2 in 2018, and other wheel-driven vehicles like the Turbinator II have claimed speeds over 500 mph. 
Mickey Thompson and Challenger 1

• In 1960, Mickey Thompson’s Challenger 1, a four-engine streamliner, reached 406.6 mph on a one-way pass at the Bonneville Salt Flats. 
• This marked the first time an American driver exceeded 400 mph, but he could not complete a required second run in the opposite direction to set an official record. 

Danny Thompson and Challenger 2

• In 2018, Danny Thompson, Mickey’s son, set the official piston-powered, wheel-driven speed record with Challenger 2, averaging 448 mph. 
• This record was an official two-way average, which is the standard for a Land Speed Record. 

Other Notable Vehicles

• The Turbinator II has claimed speeds exceeding 500 mph. 
• For context, the absolute Land Speed Record, held by the ThrustSSC, is much higher, at 763 mph. This vehicle uses jet engines and is less like a traditional car and more like a jet aircraft on the ground. 

Has the 1997 land speed record been broken?

The record of 763 mph was set on the 15th October 1997 by Wing Commander Andy Green and 26 years later that record has not been beaten. This is British engineering at its best. The reason nobody’s beaten it is because nobody can be bothered. Land speed records stopped being interesting in the 1…

Has any car hit 700 mph?

Yes, but only with a specially built, jet-powered vehicle. The Thrust SSC, a British land-speed record vehicle, holds the record at 763 mph (1,228 km/h). This is not a production car but an experimental achievement that first broke the sound barrier for a land vehicle.
 
You can watch this video to learn more about how the Thrust SSC achieved its speed: 57sDriver61YouTube · Feb 23, 2024
About the Thrust SSC

• Purpose: The Thrust SSC is a jet-propelled streamliner designed solely for breaking speed records, not for road use. 
• History: It set the official world land speed record on October 15, 1997. 
• Achievement: It is the first and only land vehicle to break the sound barrier, reaching a speed of Mach 1.020. 
• Propulsion: The vehicle is powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines. 

Key Distinction 

• Thrust SSC vs. Production Cars: When discussing cars, “hitting 700 mph” would typically refer to a road-legal production car, which has not achieved this speed. Production cars are designed to be driven on public roads and must adhere to different regulations and engineering constraints.

Has a car ever hit 1000 mph?

This man is trying to break 1,000 mph on land his name is Rosco Mclashen. And he has so much passion and grit for motorsport. And engineering that I think he might just do it i’m Rosco Mclashen. And I