Although the Bugatti Veyron is the world’s fastest production car at 254.04 mph (408.84 km/h), the Molsheim hypercar car is not the first road legal vehicle to surpass the 250 mph mark. Callaway did it all the way back in 1988 with the Sledgehammer, a one-off beast of a machine based on a 1988 Chevrolet Corvette.
Fitted with a hand built engine that used a 4-bolt main NASCAR-spec GM engine with Mahle pistons and twin Turbonetic TO4B turbochargers and an Aerobody, the Callaway Sledgehammer is rated at 898 horsepower and 772 lb-ft of torque. The speed record of 254.76 mph (409.99) was achieved in October 1988 with John Lingenfelter behind the steering wheel.
The record stood for 25 years (1988-2013), making the Sledgehammer the longest speed record holder. The vehicle will be auctioned off at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction in January 2014 and is expected to sell for $750,000 to $1 million.
The record stood for 25 years (1988-2013), making the Sledgehammer the longest speed record holder. The vehicle will be auctioned off at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction in January 2014 and is expected to sell for $750,000 to $1 million.