The World's Top 12 Fastest Vehicles

In 1911, the fastest aircraft could travel approximately 90 mph and the fastest cars could do a little more than 100 mph. One hundred years later, these numbers seem small compared to space shuttles that travel over 17,000 mph and rocket-powered cars that can break the sound barrier. Here is a look at the fastest vehicles people have engineered since–in space, in the air, on the ground and on water.



Rocket Sled

Fastest on The Ground – Unmanned
Top Speed: 6416 mph

In 2003, this rocket-powered sled became the fastest vehicle on land, accelerating to Mach 8.5 over the course of a 3-mile track. The sled was propelled by a four-stage rocket and for the first 11,000 feet the track was enclosed in a tube filled with helium, which reduced friction. The sled's acceleration maxed out at 157 g's–52 times greater than the g-forces experienced during a space shuttle launch. The speed was impressive, but breaking a record was not the Air Force's primary goal. Instead, the test was devised as a simulation of a warhead intercepting an enemy missile.