Pioneer 1 (land speed racer)

Pioneer 1 is a Soviet FIA Group VII land speed record car built in 1960 under the guidance of sportsman and engineer Ilya Aleksandrovich Tikhomirov. Derived from the Kharkov-L1, the body was aluminum and the wheels made from magnesium alloy. It was powered by two gas turbine engines (1000 hp each at 50,000 rpm) mounted either side of the driver.

The second stage of each turbine drove a planetary reduction gearbox, mated to a central driving unit pirated from the Kharkov-L1. The turbines were fitted with a water-methanol injection system.

Pioneer 1 weighed in at 485 kg, making it eligible for FIA Class 1 (500 kg and under). It was claimed to have set a Class 1 record of 303 km/h for the measured kilometer at the Baskunchak dry salt lake, and was the first Soviet land speed racer to exceed 300 km/h.

In 1962, the power of the engines was increased to 1350 hp, while weight rose to 495 kg. The improved car raised the Class 1 and Soviet national records for the measured kilometer to 306.6 km/h.

In 1963, Tikhomirov modified Pioneer 1 even further, to create Pioneer 2M.