Top Gear installed a Chevy V8 engine of 5.7-liters with 500 horsepower to make it possible.
Nowadays there seems to be a record for just about anything that you can think of. BMW has the longest drift , Caterham has the most donuts (in 60 seconds) , and Koenigsegg claimed five different speed records a few months ago. There’s also an ongoing obsession with Nürburgring lap times spreading like a disease among automakers of all calibers. Top Gear is joining in the fun, but it’s doing things a bit differently as the weapon of choice is not a car.
The TV series featured The Stig, a famous television personality, driving a tractor at Bruntingthorpe Proving Field, a former Royal Air Force (RAF), aerodrome in Leicestershire, U.K. The tractor was modified to become a Guinness World Record for fastest tractor in the world. What speed is it possible to beat? This would be 80.87 mph (130.14 km/h), which was established in Vuojarvi in Finland in February 2015.
The Stig’s 5.7-liter V8 Chevy engine produced 500 horsepower, enabling it to set a new world record at 87.27 mph (140.44 km/h). This number is the average after two runs in each direction. It’s important to note that this number represents the average. Although the tractor was able to reach 91.91 mph (147.92 km/h) during its first run, it managed only 82.62mph (132.96 Kph) on its return.
The modified tractor came with four-wheel brakes, adjustable air suspension, and a Chevy engine transplant. Other modifications include rear tires measuring 54 inches, a twin hydraulic brake, push button start, a trunk rack and “a can” of Lamborghini Orange paint.
Matt LeBlanc is Top Gear’s presenter and proud owner of four tractors.