Close to 500km/h in a diesel?

At CarPoint we've expounded on the merits of the modern breed of diesel cars on more than a few occasions, but the game is now clearly moving to a whole new level.

Audi recently made motorsport purists sit up and take notice when it announced it would chase outright honours at this year's Le Mans 24-hour enduro with its compression-ignition R10 TDI racer -- and it was no idle boast as the diesel rocket has already tasted victory at Sebring, USA.

Now comes the news that the world land-speed record holder, 43-year-old RAF pilot Andy Green, is having a tilt at the setting a new record for a diesel-powered car. Green made headlines nine years ago when he piloted the Thrust SSC streamliner to an average speed of 763.035mph (1220km/h), smashing through the sound barrier in the process.

For his next trick, Green aims to shatter the current diesel mark -- which stands at 233mph (373km/h) -- by topping 300mph (480km/h) in the ultra-streamlined JCB Dieselmax.

Green told UK's Channel 4 that "It took me about two seconds to think it through and say 'yes'," when he was approached with the offer to drive the car. Sir Richard Noble, who led the Thrust SSC project and is now a consultant to the JCB team, was quoted as saying Green "was the only choice to drive the car".

The Dieselmax differs greatly from the Thrust SSC in that its propulsion comes from four-stroke diesel power, as opposed to jet thrust. The Thrust SSC's brace of Rolls-Royce jet engines developed 50,000lbs of thrust, whereas the Dieselmax's pair of 5.0-litre turbo-diesel engines punch out about 500kW each.

Power is relayed to the tarmac -- or rather, salt flat -- by all four wheels, as one engine drives the front axle, while the other drives the rear. A computer-controlled semi-automatic gearbox synchronises the two and Green will change gear using F1-style paddles on the steering wheel.

The fact that it is driven by the wheels, rather than jet-propelled like the Thrust SSC, introduces a new problem -- specifically, getting the prodigious power down.

"The Bonneville Salt Flats, where the attempt will take place, is a low-grip surface," said Green, "So it will be my job to modulate the power so that we don't get too much wheelspin. Grip could be a problem up to about 200mph (320km/h) and I need to make sure the car remains stable. There's no electronic traction control."

Green's record run will take place in the final week of August.