Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Here’s the technology that helped create the world’s fastest tractor

Stephen Edelstein
By
JCB Fastrac does 103.6mph and sets new British record

It’s amazing what technology can do. Farm tractors spend most of their plodding along at walking pace, but this one can go over 100 mph.

Recommended Videos

The JCB Fastrac 8000 just broke the record for world’s fastest tractor, with a top speed of 103.6 mph. The record was broken at a British airfield, with television personality and motorcycle racer Guy Martin at the wheel. Martin smashed the previous record of 87.27 mph, which was set in 2018 on Top Gear, using “tame racing driver” The Stig.

Related

JCB, a large British manufacturer of tractors and construction equipment, needed some help to get more speed out of its machine. So it turned to Williams Advanced Engineering, the engineering arm of the Williams Formula One team, which JCB sponsors. Williams currently makes the slowest cars on the F1 grid but, having worked on things like the scrapped Jaguar C-X75 supercar, it was more than up to the task of helping to design the world’s fastest tractor.

Williams made some aerodynamic changes to the otherwise barn-like tractor, and helped remove weight. Some of the weight-saving measures included fitting the Fastrac 8000 with a tiny fuel tank, and using the chassis from a lighter-duty 4000-series Fastrac model, according to Farmers Weekly.

The tractor is powered by a 7.2-liter six-cylinder diesel engine making 1,000 horsepower and 1,843 pound-feet of torque. Two turbochargers and an electric supercharger allow the engine to make that prodigious level of power. Farmers Weekly also reports that the stock continuously variable transmission (CVT) was swapped for a ZF six-speed manual from a semi truck. The stock four-wheel drive system was also ditched. All power is sent to the rear wheels through an axle with no differential.

Automotive speed records can sometimes kick off arms races among competing manufacturers, but it’s unclear if, say, John Deere or New Holland will pick up the gauntlet thrown down by JCB. But the Fastrac 8000 isn’t the only improbably fast vehicle to set a record recently.

According to Guinness World Records, the Honda Mean Mower is now the quickest lawn mower from zero to 100 mph, with a time of 6.285 seconds. It’s also likely the only lawn mower that can reach 100 mph, period. The Mean Mower is powered by a 190-hp engine from a Honda CBR1000RR motorcycle.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations
The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more
Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs
Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.

Read more