Yahoo Autos Watch Johnny Bohmer Hit 310 MPH In His Ford GT Before He Breaks That Record, Too
In 2012, Johnny Bohmer took his 2006 Ford GT all the way to 283 mph at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility, setting Guinness’ record for the fastest standing mile in a street legal car. He beat that record in 2017, reaching 292 mph. But he wasn’t satisfied. From the beginning, all the way back to when he purchased the car new, he had his eyes set on the big 300. He’s now smashed that milestone, and then some.
Bohmer’s “BADD GT” topped out at 310.8 mph in the standing mile on the very same strip at the Kennedy Space Center on December 9. This GT has 2,700 horsepower — the same sum it had when Bohmer set his last record five years ago. He believes he’ll be able to find another 500 to 700 horsepower, too.
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Credit: Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds via YouTube
Amazingly, the BADD GT team didn’t start the day trying to set a new personal best. Courtesy of a release from Gas Monkey Garage, which sponsors the car:
The top speed was measured not only through a Racelogic VBox Performance Box Touch but also by four Garmin Ultra 30 cameras, FuelTech’s ECU and Racepak. This extraordinary speed was achieved while Bohmer and his team were gathering data testing the new FuelTech FT600 ECU system without a specific distance in mind. The car performed so well during this test with the FuelTech traction control and Jason Gatlin’s tuning capabilities, that Bohmer decided to stay on the throttle through the final drive gear.
GMG adds that the BADD GT still satisfies the “street legal” aspect of the record, with a valid registration and insurance, as well as amenities you wouldn’t expect to find in a car built to break top speed records, like air conditioning, a passenger seat and a working stereo. Bohmer even says he occasionally uses the GT to run errands. In a helmet I hope, considering that roll cage.
As my colleague Erik wrote in 2017 during Bohmer’s last publicized attempt, it would seem that this run isn’t official because nobody was present to verify it, if you care about that sort of thing:
While 292 mph is faster than 283.232, Bohmer did not break the Guinness World Record for a street-legal car because the Guinness people weren’t on hand to certify it. He says they’re pretty serious, too, requiring the car to have air-conditioning that can cool to 60 degrees and the ability to drive for 15 minutes prior to the record attempt, in addition to the normal things, like valid license plates, insurance, and so on, all of which the BADD GT complies with.
Regardless, this is a 2,700-hp Ford GT reaching 310 with no drama. In the video, you can see Bohmer rowing through the gears — yeah, this is still a good, old-fashioned manual — and slamming on the brakes and deploying the parachute before rolling into an access road at the end of the runway. That’s really the only part where you see some wiggling, but all told, the entire spectacle seemed effortless. It’ll be tough to improve on, but if history is any indication, Bohmer will probably find a way.
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