New Launches
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 European Launch
Volkswagen’s Crafter has undergone a midlife makeover and gets a new front-end along with new Euro 5 engines… Read More
Sprinter on the trail of land speed record
The Bloodhound Project aims to smash the land speed record and break the 1,000mph sound barrier, with help from a Mercedes Sprinter supplied by dealer Rossetts Commercials. At 129hp the long-bodied Sprinter’s 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesel cannot quite match the power output of the Bloodhounds’s custom-built Falcon rocket, which produces 27,500lb of thrust — equivalent to 77,500hp — and works in unison with a jet engine. But it does mean the strikingly-liveried Sprinter wins hands down when it comes to fuel consumption.
Around 220 high-tech engineering companies across the UK are producing key components for the car and after runway testing in the UK the team aims to be on the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa’s Northern Cape to begin high speed testing in 2013.
“We had one hell of a problem,” said project director Richard Noble. “We are best described as an aerospace company financed by sponsorship and public donation, and demand for the project at exhibitions and schools was growing at an exponential rate. Our cashflow, which has to be spent on the project engineering, didn’t permit long term lease or purchase, so we were hiring vans which meant we had constantly to load and unload them, and our presentation didn’t look good.
“And then along came Perry Reeves from Rossetts who could see the opportunity immediately. The deal was done quickly and we now have the smartest van on the road. The project is still expanding fast and the Sprinter is going to do a huge mileage. We are extremely grateful to Rossetts for their help.”
Rossetts Commercials dealer principal Reeves confirmed: “The Bloodhound Project is a truly inspiring British initiative and we are delighted to become one of its sponsors.”
