This is the Greenbird. It might not look like much but it’s going for the world record of fastest wind-powered vehicle. It was designed by Dale Vince of Ecotricity and engineer Richard Jenkins. The current world record is 116.7 MPH and Dale Vince hopes to crush that speed at the dry salt flats at Lake LeFroy in Western Australia.

Using aeronautical techniques and merging them with marine and Formula One technologies, the Greenbird is part aeroplane, part sailboat and part race car. It’s a speed demon only when the wind is blowing. The light carbon composite structure gives it a light weight while the hard sail maximizes its wind thrust. Will it have what it takes to top the record speed? We shall see.

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Futuristic aerodynamic cars seem to be all the rage among automakers these days and the craze has made it’s way to Formula One racing where so-called “shark fin” cars are popping up left and right. Last week, Ferrari became the latest F1 racing team to try out the distinctive finned engine cover at a race in Jerez, Spain. Red Bull was the first F1 team to try out the design in February. Since then, Toyota, Renault, Toro Rosso, McLaren, and Force India have all jumped on the shark fin bandwagon. The design is thought to be more aerodynamic, but race teams are still wary that it might be vulnerable to crosswinds. After the jump, check out more shark fin racecar porn pics.

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