Now, a car that travels faster than a bullet

Ever imagined a car that can travel faster than a bullet? Well, your fantasy will soon be a reality.

British scientists have claimed that they are inching closer to develop by 2012 a car that can travel at 1,000 miles (or over 1,600 km) per hour.

The project to develop the world's fastest car powered by a jet engine and a rocket is well on target, Richard Noble, director of the project, said.

Construction on the rear of the 'Bloodhound vehicle' will start in January, with an attempt on the World Land Speed record expected in 2012, he said.

"We've got companies all over the world wanting to sponsor the car," Noble told BBC News.

"We've actually got more people who want to financially back this thing than we've got space for them."

Noble has also made an appeal for people to help prepare the vehicle's race track -- a dried-up lake bed in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, known as Hakskeen Pan. Before the Bloodhound car can hurtle across this flat expanse of land, it must be cleared of all loose stones, he said.

A rock thrown up at 1,000 mph has the potential to do serious damage to the car's thin alloy bodywork and even cripple its four solid aluminium wheels.

With the assistance of the Northern Cape government, work has just started to prepare the track.

A team of 300 local people has begun sweeping the 20km-long and 1.5km width area, picking up any stones in their path. Noble, an engineer, adventurer and a former wallpaper salesman, had reached 633 mph (or 1,019 kmph) when he drove a turbojet-powered car named Thrust 2 across the Nevada desert in 1983.

In 1997, he headed the project to build the Thrust SSC (SuprerSonic Car), driven by Andy Green, an RAF pilot, at 763 mph (or 1,228 kmph).

The Bloodhound project was conceived as way of promoting science and engineering to young people.

The development of the car has been accompanied by a huge educational programme in British schools.

To claim the World Land Speed record, Bloodhound will have to better the mark set by Andy Green in 1997.

Although a private, not-for-profit venture, Bloodhound has been given not-inconsiderable in-kind support by the UK government, which has loaned the project two Typhoon engines.

Major aerospace companies are involved in the project. While Hampson Industries will build the rear of the car, Lockheed Martin is working on its 90cm-wide, 97kg wheels.

F1 engine manufacturer Cosworth has recently joined the project and of its power units will be used to drive the liquid oxidiser into Bloodhound's rocket.