We are going to Bolivia...

to knock the bastard off!

October '24
THE 'KIWIS CAN DO'

People throughout millennia have been chasing Land Speed Records.

No more so than this group of New Zealanders who have proven to be the most successful team of 'Kiwi Can Do' car speed enthusiasts. Since 2011 they have chased and achieved land speed records, racing up to 328mph. Reg Cook, CMR founder, and driver is well known for having competed successfully in many forms of the car racing sport since 1969.

The pioneering spirit

The first CMR team comprised a generation that grew up without access to global engineering resources. With a good old 'Kiwi Can Do' attitude, a pioneering spirit, and some Kiwi ingenuity, they created their own. From car design to parts machining and final testing, produced cars worthy to test themselves on the salt flats at Bonneville Utah USA.

On their very first attempt, they achieved a world record with their Nissan NX Coup 1997cc, achieving 280.9km/hr. This was a huge surprise to the race officials and seasoned competitors alike, but to an excited Reg and the team, they were hooked.

The record breaker

Reg Cook (age 76) has succeeded in claiming 5 world records at Bonneville, and he and his team are now in full preparation to continue the tradition of chasing the dream. but... with a new motivation.

With the perception that the 'Kiwi Can Do' no. 8 wire mentality is rapidly disappearing from the Kiwi landscape, the team have dedicated their 2024 attempt to demonstrate to a new generation that the No. 8 wire spirit still lives within us, and a challenge to those who dare follow their dream. To up the ante, the team is preparing 4 cars, each fine-tuned for an attempt in their individual class. 

Why Bolivia?

As much as the team loves competing at Bonneville, the salt lake course does not have the length of track necessary for the speed of the new Wairua 2 streamliner.

Check this out - With new smarts, the team will take the new Wairua 2 from a 2018 current Bonneville world record in Wairua 1 Streamliner of 328mph (538kmh), to an expected 550mph (866kmh).

The newly geared and tuned Wairua 2 streamliner will require eight miles of track to get to its maximum speed, before being clocked for an official timed one mile, then taking several miles to stop. The car then turns to repeat another timed run.

Salar de Uyuni, the Bolivian Salt Flat, is the largest salt flat in the world situated at 12,000 feet above sea level. At this high altitude, the air is thinner, which means less resistance, and more speed.