The British land speed record is the fastest land speed achieved by a vehicle in the United Kingdom, as opposed to one on water or in the air. It is standardised as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions.
The current record holder is Vampire, driven by Collin Fallows, who hit a speed of 300.3 mph (483.3 km/h) on 5 July 2000.
Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond did travel faster than this on 20 September 2006 driving the same car. He reached a speed of 314 mph (505 km/h) on his second of three laps that day, the third lap resulting in a crash that almost cost him his life. However, due to the rules requiring a second run to be taken in the opposite direction and the need for an official to be present, Hammond was not awarded the record.
