Engineer Breaks His Own World Record — Remote-Controlled Car Reaches 256.74 mph

Stephen Wallis, a part-time motorcycle engineer from Rugby, Warwickshire, has smashed his own world record for the fastest remote-controlled car. His latest model, the Mach Reaper, recorded a top speed of 256.74 mph (413.2 km/h) after aerodynamic refinements and drivetrain upgrades.

Earlier this year Wallis set the previous mark of 234.71 mph (377.7 km/h) with a different model called The Beast. Determined to push further, he redesigned the Mach Reaper to reduce drag, increase torque and improve overall stability before testing it on a runway.

His latest model, the Mach Reaper, has been modified to travel even faster [BBC]

Wallis explained his approach: "You do get a massive rush when you see your car flying past at over 200 mph — it is ridiculous. It just looks amazing and you’re in control of it." He began the project two years ago and credits the use of powerful drone motors as a key advantage in his designs.

Interestingly, the latest car originally started life as a quadcopter-style drone. In its first speed tests the prototype managed 129 mph (207.6 km/h), a surprising result for such a compact, custom-built vehicle.

Wallis designs the cars at his home in Rugby [BBC]

Design and Testing

Wallis builds the models from scratch in his home workshop using 3D printing and documents the process on YouTube. To achieve the new record, he focused on several areas:

• Aerodynamics: He narrowed the body to reduce drag and refined the shape for high-speed stability.
• Power and Torque: He installed larger drone motors to increase torque and acceleration.
• Tyres and Traction: He trimmed tyres and tuned setup at previous events to improve grip and rolling resistance.

After development, Wallis took the Mach Reaper to the Yes Mate Speed event at Llanbedr Airfield in North Wales to attempt the record runs on a long runway.

"What I did was look at all the areas of the car and try to come up with ways of improving them," he said. "For example, the aerodynamics. I actually made the whole car narrower to make it have less drag."

Looking ahead, Wallis says he has further ideas to push performance even higher, including a more ambitious concept to retain electric power while adding a short-duration rocket booster to provide a final speed burst as the car approaches the timing traps.

Event: Yes Mate Speed meet; Location: Llanbedr Airfield, North Wales; Builder/Driver: Stephen Wallis, Rugby, Warwickshire.