Inspiration (car)

{{Short description|Steam powered land speed record holder}}

{{Infobox automobile

| image = Imagination (4979632603).jpg

| caption = at the Steam Museum, Swindon

| name = Inspiration

| manufacturer = British Steam Car Challenge

| aka =

| production =

| assembly =

| predecessor = Stanley Steamer

| successor =

| class = Land Speed Record (steam)

| body_style =

| layout =

| Chassis = Steel space frame

| engine = Two stage turbine driven by superheated steam

| transmission =

| wheelbase =

| length = 7.6 m

| width = 1.7 m

| height = 1.7 m

| weight = 3 tons

| related =

| designer = Glynne Bowsher

}}

Inspiration is a British-designed and -built steam-propelled car designed by Glynne Bowsher and developed by the British Steam Car Challenge team.[http://www.steamcar.co.uk/team/index.html BSCC team]steamcar.co.uk {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810115715/http://www.steamcar.co.uk/team/index.html |date=2009-08-10 }}[http://www.steamcar.co.uk/ Land Speed Record Breakers August 2009 '...The Royal Automobile Club Recognises World Land Speed Record Breaking Team...'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706094841/http://www.steamcar.co.uk/ |date=2014-07-06 }} steamcar.co.uk, accessed 1 December 2018

Inspiration holds the World Land Speed Record for a steam-powered vehicle on 25 August 2009, driven by Charles Burnett III with an average speed of {{convert|139.8|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}{{cite web|title=Charles Burnett III, British-born speed king, dies in helicopter crash|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42749583|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=17 February 2020|language=English|date=17 January 2018}} over two consecutive runs over a measured mile. This broke the and longest-standing land speed record set in 1906 by Fred Marriott in the Stanley Steamer.Glaskin, Max, [https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17653-steampowered-car-breaks-centuryold-speed-record.html Steam-powered car breaks century-old speed record], 25 August 2009, retrieved 1 December 2018 On 26 August 2009 the car, driven by Don Wales, broke a second record by achieving an average speed of {{convert|148.308|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} over two consecutive runs over a measured kilometre.

The runs were made at Edwards Air Force Base in California, United States. The car is 7.6 m long, 1.7 m wide and weighs 3 tons. It is powered by a two-stage turbine driven by superheated steam from 12 boilers containing distilled water. The boilers are heated by burners which burn Liquid Petroleum Gas to produce 3 Megawatts (10.2 million BTU/hr) of heat. The steam produced is at a temperature of 400 °C (750 °F) and a pressure of 4000 kN/m² {{convert|40|bar|psi|0|abbr=on}}. The engine is capable of developing {{convert|288|kW|hp PS|0|abbr=on}} and consumes around 40 litres (8.8 Impgal) of water per minute).[http://www.steamcar.co.uk/design.html Vehicle design details] steamcar.co.uk, accessed 1 December 2018

The car has been retired to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu, England.[https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/vehicle-collection/british-steam-car-inspiration/ British Steam Car ‘Inspiration’] nationalmotormuseum.org.uk, accessed 1 December 2018

Imagination steam car (4979628989).jpg

Imagination steam car (4980230388).jpg

Imagination steam car (4980233994).jpg

Inspiration running at Edwards Air Force Base.webm|Inspiration running at Edwards Air Force Base