British Engineer's R/C Car Hits 235 MPH, Smashes Record

Stephen Wallis spent 20 years tinkering with remote-control cars in his workshop near Coventry, England, and his patience just paid off in a spectacular way.

The engineer had a wild idea: what if he took the technology from a quadcopter drone and turned it sideways? Instead of vertical propellers for flight, he'd use horizontal wheels for speed.

His creation, called The Beast, doesn't need the complex transmissions and steering systems that other speed cars use. The four motors turn the wheels directly, and steering happens by varying each motor's speed, just like a drone turns in mid-air.

The genius part? The drone's flight controller, packed with accelerometers and gyroscopes, keeps the car rock-solid stable. Those sensors make thousands of tiny adjustments per second, the same way drones stay steady in choppy wind.

In September, Wallis brought The Beast to a speed test event at Llanbedr Airfield in Wales. Rain pelted down so hard he could barely see his own car during the run.

None of that mattered. The Beast screamed down the tarmac at 234.71 mph, officially recorded by Guinness World Records.

That number demolished the previous record of 218.53 mph. Before this run, only six remote-control cars in history had ever broken 200 mph at sanctioned events.

Wallis powered his car with three battery packs wired together for a jaw-dropping 75.6 volts. He also shaved down the tires to keep the foam from ripping off at extreme speeds, dropping the diameter from 99 to 94 millimeters.

The Ripple Effect spreads beyond just one impressive number. Wallis proved that sometimes the best innovation comes from looking sideways at existing technology and asking "what if?" His approach could inspire other hobbyists to rethink their designs entirely.

Other speed enthusiasts are already taking notice. The remote-control racing community thrives on pushing boundaries, and Wallis just moved the goalposts significantly forward.

He's not done yet, either. Wallis already ordered bigger motors and set his sights on breaking 250 mph at the next event.

After two decades of dedication, this engineer shows what happens when passion meets persistence and a willingness to try something completely different.