Flying Kestrel’s ready for record
THIS 1935 Riley Kestrel has gone from lying rusty in a barn to being a potential record breaker.
It’s been turned into a 900bhp speed machine by Scottish beer firm Kestrel with the goal of setting a new UK record for the fastest wheel-driven car over a flying kilometre.
To do this, the classic saloon needs to set an average speed of 171mph in two directions. However, the team are setting their sights even higher and reckon the car could hit 220mph.
Helping the car, which is known as the Flying Kestrel, to make those sorts of speeds is a 2.5-litre turbocharged Audi engine that produces 900bhp. Top speed is the main aim but it also means this car can hit 60mph from a standing start in less than three seconds.
It’s the brainchild of Kestrel Beer boss Nigel McNally, who found out the Riley that had been stashed away in a barn for 55 years.
He said: “We committed to restoring this old classic and giving it a powerful and compelling new lease of life. It has been super to watch this come together and now we can’t wait to use it in action.”
To create a car capable of such high speeds, drag racing expert Tom Webster was brought in to build the Flying Kestrel.
He said: “From the outside, we have kept the car as true to the original as possible. The real transformation is under the skin, where it has a strengthened chassis and roll cage carefully hidden.”
The team have tested at Santa Pod in Northamptonshire and Elvington in Yorkshire, though weather conditions meant it could not be driven safely at the speeds needed to set a new record. McNally added: “We’re determined to beat records with the Flying Kestrel. It’s just a matter of time.”