Watch: This Modified Tractor Hits 165 Km/h

When we talk about tractors here at The Car Guide, we usually mean the vehicle that pulls a trailer, not an actual tractor. But today, we’re making an exception—again.

Many of you liked it when we posted a video of the Honda Mean Mower V2, a modified lawn tractor that set a Guinness World Record for the fastest acceleration from 0-160 km/h. Now, meet J.C. Bamford Excavators' Fastrac 8000 farm tractor.

• Also: Watch: Honda Mean Mower V2 Goes From 0-160 Km/h in Six Seconds!
• Also: Watch: This Tractor Sets a New Lap Record at the Nurburgring

British TV presenter and engineering guru Guy Martin recently pushed a customised version of this mean machine to 165.8 km/h at Elvington Airfield, near York in the U.K.

The feat, which marked a new British speed record for tractors, was made possible by a 7.2-litre, six-cylinder DieselMax engine capable of delivering 1,000 horsepower and 1,800 pound-feet of torque. The Fastrac 8000 also benefited from various weight-saving measures and enhanced aerodynamics through a collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering.

A team of JCB engineers had been working on the secret project to develop the tractor for the past few months.

“We’ve long harboured a dream to attempt a speed record with the Fastrac and the whole team has worked tirelessly to achieve this amazing result,” said the company’s chairman, Lord Bamford. “I’m extremely proud of what they’ve achieved in such a short space of time. It’s British engineering at its best, and it really does highlight the skills and innovation we have in our engineering team.”

JCB also holds the diesel land speed record with its DieselMax streamliner, which managed to reach 563 km/h at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah back in 2006.