This car is almost 100 years old, but it drove like a modern Formula 1 car: a shocking number

Today we will tell you about a really strange type of car, which is similar to today's Formula 1 cars in terms of performance. Here is his story.

Single-seater Formula 1 cars are the fastest race cars on the planet, with performance that no other car can match. but, This applies to the type of aerodynamics they have and to the speeds they reach when cornering, while on the strait they are not necessarily the fastest in the world. For example, oval Indycars are faster, but today we're going to tell you about a more ridiculous model.

To do this, we have to go back nearly a century ago, Because it is a car that was manufactured in 1926, which a year later set a record that remains historic to this day. We are sure that you will be impressed by the photos you will see, given the stunning appearance of this car, which is still impossible to forget today. Here's what the car is.

The car, here is the legendary 1000 horsepower Sunbeam

Today's topic is about a car that is almost a century old, but retains amazing performance, which will truly make you shudder. We're talking about the 1000 HP Sunbeam, also called Mystery or The Slug, which were created to set speed records, were chased by brands at the dawn of motor racing. Unlike today, in fact, a long time ago, having a higher top speed than the competition was considered essential, as there was no question of overly refined aerodynamics.

This gem was built in 1926 by a British company Sunbeam Automotive CompanyWhich was based in Wolverhampton, It was the first car in history to exceed 200 miles per hour. Graphic created by Jack IrvingThis extremely narrow and elongated shape was specifically designed to enhance efficiency and prevent it from causing too much resistance across the vehicle body.

It was called, as we mentioned before, The Slug, which means bullet in Italian, but also means snail, since the original design of the car was reminiscent of the shape of this cute and curious animal. It was powered by two V12 Sunbeam Matabele engines, with a combined power of 900 hp.. The engines were positioned longitudinally on the chassis, one in front of the driver and the other behind the driver.

The front engine was driven by compressed air, and the rear engine was driven via a mechanical clutch system. It was then blocked when the two thrusters were synchronized with each other. The transmission is based on a three-speed gearboxWhile the spoked wheels were fitted with 35 x 6-inch tires, they lasted for three and a half minutes at maximum speeds.

The speed record for this car was set on March 29, 1927 in Daytona Beach. The speed reached 327.98 km/hWhich is absolutely crazy considering the safety standards of the time. This record was later broken over time, but the Sunbeam, which you can enjoy in the video posted here, was uploaded to the channel Youtube “National Automobile Museum, Beaulieu“, will remain in history forever.