Bonneville, a few weeks ago saw the Turbinator II break the 500-mph barrier.

All competitors know the old saying “Everyone wins!” in racing, no matter if it’s professional or amateur. There will always someone faster, no matter how fast or slow you may be. Unless you’re Dave Spangler from Team Vesco, who drove the Turbinator II at 503 mph in the World Speed Finals a few weeks ago. Although it is the fastest wheel-driven car on the planet, it is not among the records. We’ll get to that in a moment.

The Turbinator II looks and sounds just like an ultra-high-speed racer. The Turbinator II has a small, thin gas turbine engine inside. However, it doesn’t produce thrust from the back. The Lycoming T55L-712 mill generates upwards of 5,000 horsepower (3.728 kilowatts). It drives all four wheels and is adorned with Mickey Thompson tires. It measures 36 feet in length, has a 21-foot wheelbase, and weighs in at 4,950 pounds (2.245 kg). Parachutes are used to slow the car down and a traction control system assists it in accelerating on notoriously slippery salt.

The Turbinator II can turn a mile at full power in 8 seconds. As if that wasn’t enough, the Turbinator II has completed 7.8 miles in 2 minutes 19 seconds. A full-on jet-powered, land speed racer is the only way to get faster, but it uses thrust and not wheels. Another video shows the car at its fastest 500-mph speed.

Although the Turbinator II holds the current record for wheel driven cars, it was established at Bonneville a few weeks earlier. The car set a new national record in September at 482.646 mph and a top speed that was 492 mph. Unfortunately, the 503-mph smash couldn’t be sustained. It was necessary to make the official second pass in the opposite direction. However, rain washed out most of the rest of the event and Team Vesco was unable to complete one pass.

Yet, there is a time slip that shows a wheel-powered car reaching 503 mph. The new king of speed is here.