Most of us are happy driving at no more than 70mph, in cars that would struggle to go twice as fast, but a Bristol-based team has altogether loftier ambitions.
The group behind Bloodhound SSC (supersonic car), which includes long-time world land speed record holder Richard Noble, is aiming to set a new record of no less than 1,000mph - more than 14 times the UK motorway limit.
And the astonishing speed wouldn't just outpace a family runabout: given road and fuel enough, Bloodhound would dispatch the 3,500 miles from London to New York in just three and a half hours - the same time it used to take Concorde.
To reach such speeds, the car will be powered by the same jet engine used in the Eurofighter Typhoon, and a rocket engine.
And with this much forward thrust on tap, an extra 800-horsepower racing engine is devoted simply to powering the hydraulics and rocket fuel pump.
But apart from setting a new world record, the team hopes to inspire a new generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians, and to motivate and involve university students.
While beating the current 763mph record might seem a daunting proposition, Noble - who ran the Thrust SSC team that set it - isn't phased.
He describes the team's mission as to "confront and overcome the impossible using science, technology, engineering and mathematics".
