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A British-built steam supercar is aiming to break a century-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles.The 25ft-long car - dubbed the "fastest kettle in the world" - targets to beat a speed of 127mph reached by American Fred Marriott in a Stanley steam car in 1906 at the Daytona Beach Road Course.
Weighing three tons, the vehicle is made from a mixture of lightweight carbon-fibre composite and aluminium wrapped around a steel space frame chassis.
Using Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), the car is fitted with 12 boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing.
Demineralised water is pumped into the boilers at up to 50l a minute and the burners produce three megawatts of heat.
Steam is superheated to 400C which is injected into the turbine at more than twice the speed of sound.
Large Goodyear tyres and brake discs help bring it to a stop, and the car is also kitted with a parachute.
The driver for the record attempt will be Charles Burnett III, a nephew of Lord Montague of Beaulieu, who made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 for an offshore water speed record of 137mph.
Other team members include the 48-year-old test driver and father-of-two Don Wales, nephew of the late speed ace Donald Campbell and grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell.
