List of vehicle speed records

The following is a list of speed records for various types of vehicles. This list only presents the single greatest speed achieved in each broad record category; for more information on records under variations of test conditions, see the specific article for each record category. As with many world records, there may be some dispute over the criteria for a record-setting event, the authority of the organization certifying the record, and the actual speed achieved.

Land vehicles

Main article: Land speed record

For rail vehicles, see § Rail vehicles.

• 
  ThrustSSC, which has held the land speed record since 1997
• 
  VeloX3, formerly the world's fastest human-powered vehicle
• 
  Apollo 17 LRV, fastest vehicle driven on the Moon
• 
  Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, the fastest production car
• 
  JCB Dieselmax, the fastest diesel car
• 
  Buckeye Bullet 3, the fastest electric car
• 
  Imagination, the fastest steam powered vehicle

Land speed records by type of vehicle

Category	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)	Vehicle	Operator	Date	Certifier	Refs
Land speed record[a]	1,227.985	763.035	ThrustSSC	Andy Green	15 Oct 1997	FIA	[2]
Wheel-driven[b]	745.187	463.038	Vesco Turbinator II	Dave Spangler	14 Aug 2018	SCTA	[3][4]
Piston-engine[c]	722.204	448.757	Challenger 2	Danny Thompson	12 Aug 2018	SCTA	[6]
Motorcycle[d]	605.698	376.363	Ack Attack	Rocky Robinson	25 Sep 2010	FIM	[7]
Diesel-powered[e]	563.998	350.452	JCB DieselMax	Andy Green	23 Aug 2006	FIA	[8]
Electric-powered[e]	550.627	342.144	Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3	Roger Schroer	19 Sep 2016	FIA	[8]
Production	490.485	304.773	Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+	Andy Wallace	2 Aug 2019	TÜV
Steam-powered[e]	238.679	148.308	Inspiration	Don Wales	25 Aug 2009	FIA	[8]
Wind-powered[f]	225.58	140.17	Horonuku	Glenn Ashby	24 Feb 2023	FISLY	[10]
Human-powered[g]	144.17	89.58	AeroVelo Eta	Todd Reichert	17 Sep 2016	IHPVA	[12]
Solar-powered[h]	91.332	56.751	Sky Ace TIGA	Kenjiro Shinozuka	20 Aug 2014	GWR	[13]
Tracked vehicle	121.9	75.7	modified M113 APC	Carl May	Jul/Aug 1979	US Army	[14]
Radio-controlled car (rocket-powered)	338.14	210.11	Black Knight	Anthony Lovering	4 May 2016	GWR	[15][16]
Radio-controlled car (battery-powered)	325.12	202.02	RC Bullet	Nic Case	25 Oct 2014	GWR	[17][18]

1. Average over two subsequent runs in opposite directions over a 1 mile (1.6 km) course, with flying start^[1]
2. Average over 1 mile (1.6 km), with a flying start
3. Average over two subsequent runs with four hours to work on the vehicle in impound^[5]
4. Average over 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), with a flying start
5. Average over two subsequent runs in opposite directions over a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) course, with flying start^[1]
6. Average over 50 metres (160 ft)^[9]
7. Unpaced on a straight surface -0.6% grade;^[11] average over 200 metres (660 ft), with flying start (For other cycling records, see cycling records)
8. For vehicles powered directly by solar power, without batteries

Land speed records by surface

Category	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)	Vehicle	Operator	Date	Certifier	Refs
On ice	335.7	208.6	Audi RS 6	Janne Laitinen	9 Mar 2013	FIA	[19]
On the Moon	18.0	11.2	Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV‑003)	Eugene Cernan	11 Dec 1972	(unofficial)	[20]
On Mars	0.18	0.11	Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with semi‑autonomous control	Jul 2004	GWR	[21]

Rail vehicles

Main article: Land speed record for rail vehicles

• 
  Lt. Col. John P. Stapp rides the rocket sled at Edwards Air Force Base
• 
  The V150, the world's fastest wheeled train, on its record-breaking run
• 
  Schienenzeppelin propeller-driven rail car
• 
  Mallard, the world's fastest steam train

Rail speed records

Category	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)	Vehicle	Operator	Date	Certifier	Refs
Rocket sled	10,326	6,416	Super Roadrunner	(uncrewed) / USAF	29 Apr 2003		[22]
Maglev rocket sled	1,019	633	(unnamed)	(uncrewed) / USAF	4 Mar 2016		[23]
Rocket sled (crewed)	1,017	632	Sonic Wind No. 1	John Stapp / USAF	10 Dec 1954		[24]
Maglev train (crewed)	603	375	SCMaglev L0 Series	Central Japan Railway Company	21 Apr 2015	GWR	[25]
Wheeled	574.8	357.2	TGV POS V150	Eric Pieczac	3 Apr 2007		[26][27]
Propeller-driven	230	140	Schienenzeppelin	Franz Kruckenberg	21 Jun 1931		[28][29]
Steam-driven	202.6	125.9	LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard	Joseph Duddington and Thomas Bray	3 Jul 1938		[30][31][32]

Aircraft

Main article: Flight airspeed record

Aircraft speed records are based on true airspeed, rather than ground speed.

• 
  HTV-2 (artist rendering), the fastest uncrewed aerial vehicle
• 
  North American X-15, the fastest piloted rocket-powered aircraft
• 
  SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest piloted air-breathing aircraft
• 
  Rare Bear, the fastest piston-engined aircraft
• 
  Musculair 2, the fastest human-powered aircraft
• 
  Tupolev Tu-144, the fastest commercial aircraft
• 
  Rolls-Royce ACCEL, the fastest electric aircraft

Airspeed records

Category	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)	Mach No.[a]	Vehicle	Crew	Date	Certifier	Refs
Uncrewed aerial vehicle	21,245	13,201	~20	HTV‑2	(uncrewed)	22 Apr 2010	(unofficial)	[33]
Crewed, rocket-powered	7,270	4,520	6.7	North American X‑15A‑2	William J. Knight	3 Oct 1967	GWR	[34][35]
Crewed, air-breathing	3,529.56	2,193.17	3.3	Lockheed SR‑71A Blackbird #61‑7958	Eldon W. Joersz	28 Jul 1976	FAI	[36][37]
Commercial	2,428.5	1,509.0	2.35	Tupolev Tu-144	Eduard Yelyan	Nov 1970	(unofficial)
Propeller-driven	927.4	576.3	~ 0.85	Piaggio P.180 Avanti	Joseph J. Ritchie, Steve Fossett	6 Feb 2003	FAI	[38][39]
Piston-engined	850.24	528.31	0.69	Grumman F8F Bearcat (modified) Rare Bear	Lyle Shelton	21 Aug 1989	FAI	[40][41]
Electric[b]	555.9	345.4	0.45	Rolls-Royce Accel Spirit of Innovation	Steve Jones	19 Nov 2021	FAI	[42]
Helicopter[note 1]	400.87	249.09	0.33	Westland Lynx 800 G‑LYNX	John Egginton	11 Aug 1986	FAI	[43][44]
Glider (sailplane)[c]	306.8	190.6	0.25	Schempp‑Hirth Nimbus‑4DM	Klaus Ohlmann (pilot), Matias Garcia Mazzaro	22 Dec 2006	FAI	[45]
Airship[note 2]	115.1	71.5	0.09	Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik LZ N07‑100 (DLZFN)	Steve Fossett (pilot), Hans‑Paul Ströhle	27 Oct 2004	FAI	[47][48]
Human-powered	44.32	27.54	0.03	Musculair 2	Holger Rochelt	2 Oct 1985	FAI	[49][50]
Ground effect vehicle	See entry under § Watercraft.
Mars aircraft	36	22	-	Ingenuity	(uncrewed)	12 Oct 2023	(unofficial)	[51]

1. Mach number depends on ambient temperature, and thus altitude, as well as speed; it is not a direct measure of speed.
2. Over a 3-kilometer course
3. Average speed over an out-and-return course of 500 km

Noted unofficial records

1. Unofficial helicopter speed records by the Sikorsky X2 (460 km/h on 15 September 2010) and the Eurocopter X3 (472 km/h on 7 June 2013) would surpass this record if accepted.
2. Greater speeds reportedly achieved by rigid airships, including 140.3 kilometres per hour (87.2 mph) by the American USS Macon (ZRS-5), are not recognized by the FAI, because these runs did not account for wind speed by flying a set course in both directions.^[46]

Watercraft

Main article: Water speed record

• 
  Model of Spirit of Australia, which holds the water speed record
• 
  Vestas Sailrocket, the fastest wind-powered watercraft
• 
  Decavitator, the fastest human-powered watercraft
• 
  Omer 5, the fastest human-powered submarine
• 
  The "Caspian Sea Monster", the fastest ground-effect vehicle^[a]

Water speed records

Category	Speed (knots)	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)	Vehicle	Operator	Date	Certifier	Refs
Water speed record	275.98	511.11	317.59	Spirit of Australia	Ken Warby	8 Oct 1978	UIM	[52][53]
Propeller-driven	226.78	420.00	260.97	Problem Child	Daryl Ehrlich	22 Nov 2009	IHBA, GWR	[54][55]
Wind-powered	65.45	121.21	75.32	Vestas Sailrocket 2	Paul Larsen	24 Nov 2012	WSSRC	[56][57]
Hovercraft[b]	74.2	137.4	85.4	Universal UH19P Jenny II	Bob Windt	1 Jan 1995	WHF, GWR	[58]
Human-powered	18.5	34.3	21.3	Decavitator	Mark Drela	27 Oct 1991	IHPVA	[59][60]
Human-powered submarine	8.035	14.881	9.247	Omer 5	Sebastien Brisebois, Joel Brunet	28 Jun 2007	ISR	[61]
Ground effect vehicle[a]	350	650	400	Korabl Maket "Caspian Sea Monster"	Soviet Navy	ca. 1966–1980	(unofficial)	[63]
Underwater vehicle	There is no officially recognized speed record for underwater craft, due to the secretive nature of military vessels. In 1968, a Soviet November-class submarine reportedly tracked an American carrier group traveling at 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph).[64] Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo[65] to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval.[66]

1. Ground effect vehicles (a.k.a. "Wing-In-Ground effect vehicles") are classified as maritime vessels, rather than aircraft, by the International Maritime Organization.^[62]
2. Measured over 1 km with a flying start

Spacecraft

Main article: List of spaceflight records § Speed and altitude

In order to unambiguously express the speed of a spacecraft, a frame of reference must be specified. Typically, this frame is fixed to the body with the greatest gravitational influence on the spacecraft, as this is the most relevant frame for most purposes.^[67] Velocities in different frames of reference are not directly comparable; thus the matter of the "fastest spacecraft" depends on the reference frame used.

Because of the influence of gravity, maximum velocities are usually attained when a spacecraft is close to its primary body: either just after launch, at a point of closest approach (periapsis), or during the early stages of atmospheric entry.

• 
  Parker Solar Probe (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft relative to the Sun
• 
  New Horizons (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft upon departing Earth
• 
  Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown, fastest crewed vehicle relative to Earth

Space speed records

Frame of reference	Category	Speed relative to frame of reference			Vehicle	Operator	Crew	Date	Refs[a]
		km/h	km/s	mph
Sun	Periapsis	692,000	192	430,000	Parker Solar Probe	NASA	(uncrewed)	24 Dec 2024	[68]
Earth	Escape	58,536	16.26	36,370	New Horizons	NASA	(uncrewed)	19 Jan 2006	[69]
	Entry	46,100	12.8	28,600	Stardust	NASA	(uncrewed)	15 Jan 2006	[70]
	Entry (crewed)	39,897	11.08	24,790	Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown	NASA	Thomas Stafford, John Young, Eugene Cernan	26 May 1969	[71]
Mars	Entry	27,000	7.6	17,000	Mars Pathfinder	NASA	(uncrewed)	4 Jul 1997	[72]
Jupiter	Orbit insertion	209,000	58	130,000	Juno	NASA	(uncrewed)	4 Jul 2016	[73][67]
	Entry	173,736	48.26	108,000	Galileo	NASA	(uncrewed)	21 Sep 2003	[74]
Saturn	Periapsis	122,000	34	76,000	Cassini	NASA	(uncrewed)	27 Apr 2017	[75]

1. Speed records in this class are generally reported by the spacecraft operator and not independently verified.

See also

• Orders of magnitude (speed)