Hate cutting the grass? Or, did you think that the best job Forrest Gump ever did was the lawn mowing one he took after he made his shrimping boat fortune? Either way, this lawnmower is sure to fascinate you; being on the grass has never been so exciting.
Project Runningblade is capable of 100mph and aims to break the world speed record for a lawnmower, currently set at 80.792mph and achieved at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Stephen Volkins, a worker at the Beaulieu Estate - home of the National Motor Museum - saw a video of the record on YouTube and thought 'this is something I'd like to dedicate loads of time to.'
So he did, putting together a capable team, including lawnmower maker Countax mowers, and eventually unveiling the finished article you see here. It's better than your dad's Flymo, right?
Don Wales will drive the beastly trimmer, which will get into the Guinness Book of Records if it succeeds in reaching the 100mph landmark at the Pendine Sands, South Wales. At that speed it would be able to mow an entire football pitch in just over two and a half minutes. "We're delighted with the machine," said Volkins, "and we're looking forward to bringing another important record to Britain." See, it's not completely pointless.
Mark Nichol - 5 Dec 2009