The World's Fastest Tractor: A Marvel of Engineering and Innovation

The tractor that has been making waves in the world of heavy machinery is none other than the "Fast Track", a behemoth of a machine designed to achieve mind-boggling speeds while minimizing weight. This incredible vehicle has been engineered to have a drag coefficient of 0.4, which may not seem spectacular compared to other high-performance vehicles, but considering its massive size and weight, it's still an impressive feat.

One of the key factors that allows the Fast Track to achieve such remarkable speeds is its reduced frontal area. The designers took into account the importance of minimizing drag, resulting in a front bumper with a kind of splitter that diverts some air underneath it. This clever design not only reduces air resistance but also creates a small amount of lift, which helps to balance out the weight distribution of the vehicle.

Another critical aspect of the Fast Track's design is its reduced weight. To achieve this, the engineers made deliberate decisions about what features to include and what to leave out. For example, there are no compressors on board, as they are heavy and unnecessary for the tractor's operation. Additionally, there is no huge battery required to power the machine, which means that it doesn't stall easily and can continue running without interruption.

The Fast Track also features a unique cooling system, which uses compressed air stored in two large tanks above the main engine compartment. This compressed air is used to keep the turbocharger spinning between gear shifts, ensuring optimal performance and preventing engine damage. The two tanks below the main engine compartment store compressed air for the air braking system, which is crucial for this vehicle's safety.

In terms of braking, the Fast Track features standard fast-track brakes, including twin caliper discs at the front and single caliper disc at the rear. These brakes are designed to handle the extreme forces generated by high-speed operations and can stop the vehicle in its tracks from speeds of over 150 miles per hour. However, it's worth noting that this tractor is not typically used for heavy-duty towing or hauling, so the braking system is more than sufficient for its intended use.

One feature that may raise an eyebrow is the presence of a parachute on the Fast Track. While it may look like a gimmick, the parachute serves a practical purpose – to provide additional stability and control during high-speed operations. This is particularly useful in situations where precision and control are essential, such as during racing or speed record attempts.

Now that we've explored the exterior and mechanical aspects of the Fast Track, let's take a look inside this incredible machine. Upon entering the cabin, one might feel a sense of déjà vu, as if they're sitting in a cartoonish representation of a high-performance vehicle rather than an actual tractor. The FIA roll cage bolted directly to the chassis is a testament to the manufacturer's commitment to safety and durability.

The cockpit itself features a huge FIA seat with harnesses, a standard Fast Track steering wheel, and three large JCB pedals for intuitive control. However, what sets this machine apart from other tractors is its unique hydraulic steering system, which allows for smooth and precise turns without direct mechanical linkage to the front wheels. The gearshift is also noteworthy, featuring a massive 6-speed H-pattern manual gearbox that requires skill and precision to operate.

The interior of the Fast Track is perhaps one of its most impressive features, with emergency exit panels strategically placed throughout the cabin. This design allows for safe evacuation in case of an emergency, while also providing a sense of security and control for the operator.

Finally, let's take a look at the performance specifications of this incredible machine. With approximately 600 horsepower, the Fast Track is capable of reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest tractors on the market. However, its engine temperature management system ensures that it doesn't push the limits too far, preventing overheating and maintaining optimal performance.

In conclusion, the Fast Track is a marvel of engineering and innovation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in heavy machinery design. Its reduced weight, clever cooling system, and advanced braking technology make it an exceptional performer on the track or in demanding operational environments. Whether used for speed record attempts or everyday tasks, this incredible tractor is sure to turn heads and leave a lasting impression on all who see it.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is the world's fastest tractor it's called the JCB fast-track - and it recently averaged 135 point one nine miles an hour with a peak speed of more than 150 miles an hour as it set a new world speed record for modified tractors it's the subject of the 2019 Autocar Christmas road test and I'm going to give you a full technical overview the likes of which you will not see anywhere else and then we're going to go for a drive this the world's fastest tractor is based on this similar JCB fast track so let's start by having a look at the engine because without that if I just lift up this engine cover which is out of the standard mode but aluminium to make it lighter and nestled in behind all of these ancillaries is a JCB 6 7 2 diesel engine that means it has six cylinders and a capacity of 7.2 liters now it's block head and crank shafts are all the same as a standard JCB the Pistons are standard but machined down to give a lower compression ratio and there is a huge turbo whose best work is done above 2500 rpm now typically a tractor may operate at around 1,500 rpm but here there is a 3400 rpm redline peak power is 1016 horsepower peak torque is thirteen hundred and forty foot-pounds but one result of that vast turbo is that there is quite a lot of turbo lag so there's four intakes here this is the main engine air intake but you see one to this side as well which is for an electrically driven supercharger which tries to keep the turbo spinning at low revolutions there's two down here as well this is for an oil cooler this is for a torsional damper on the engine now it still has a four valve per cylinder head the exhaust valves are a different material because the combustion temperatures are so much hotter than standard and that comes out into an exhaust a 3d printed inconel exhaust which gets to pretty much 1,000 degrees centigrade so there's loads of heat everywhere so how do you mitigate some of that heat well you load up these pods at the front with 25 kilos of ice for each run that you want to make and that goes that passes through the water from that passes through this massive massive massive massive water to air intercooler which can take air that's coming from the turbocharger comes through the turbocharged there might be two hundred and eighty degrees or more when it's coming into this intercooler by the time it goes out it's ten degrees centigrade and then there's some more water injection onto the inlet rail as well so it just lets loads of air in loads of fuel in the big of the bang are the more power it makes now let's stick with the engine and transmission it drives through a truck ZF 6-speed manual transmission which is unusual tractors usually use a CVT and it's got a it's got a foot operated clutch now that's using a JCB clutch that they developed in the late 80s early 90s it's an 8 plate multi-plate clutch with a all in a wet oil bath and the idea is you slip it now if somebody like me who comes from cars and if you're driving rare valuable weird cars owners quite often say look the clutches on these are really expensive you know please don't bring they don't last very long you're better off stalling than slipping the clutch because we don't want to wear the clutch jam pretty much the opposite is true here for reasons I'll come to in a minute you don't really want to stall this so what you want to do is slip the clutch massively when JCB is testing these clutches it fits them to a tractor they pull 20 tons they go at full speed and then they just put it in reverse and they let the clutch do all of the slip it's a sort of an abuse test but this this is this is how strong those clutches have to be so it's designed to have loads of rifts put on and the clutch slipped all the time while this thing accelerates now this fast track is rear-wheel drive most fast tracks are four-wheel drive but this doesn't have to go off-road it doesn't have to pull anything it just has to go in a completely straight line so the geometry is dead straight it drives straight out through this six-speed gearbox fifth gear is a one to one ratio tractors usually have a reduction gear on each wheel this doesn't get that it just goes straight to a spool differential on the back so the prop shaft is from another tractor but it is a standard prop shaft the pinion and crown wheel our standard fast-track pinion and then the spool differential locks the rear diff so the both rear wheels travel at the same speed which means you have to take a very broad turning circle when you go anywhere because the wheels don't shift at different speeds now these tires come from a standard tire mold however they are made from a different compound to usual and they've been tested to 160 miles an hour on an aircraft test rig the tread depth is usually 27 to 30 millimeters but here it has been buffed down to 10 millimeters so it still looks a little bit Traktor II and each tire weighs 80 kilograms now in the outside of the tire there are two steel bands to limit the expansion of the tire at speed and at 150 miles an hour these tires are only expanding by two millimeters it's not only the wheels and tires that are lower the whole thing is lower so a fast track is unusual in tractor terms in that it has a separate chassis which makes it slightly more truck like than Frank there's a lot of tractors for ruggedness they just have a unsuspended rear end and then the suspension is all done in the cap or fast track isn't like that it has a chassis running through so I think you go normal tractors trucks and fast tracks and Unimogs are sort of somewhere in the middle if the - which is why this is a quick thing all around and quite good because I got on road handling by tractor standards so the chassis on this has been lightened for a start but also there's a center section which has been lowered so overall it's it's 200 mil lower which is why you may know the front axle on this is v-shaped rather than straight across because it just means get the engine in game boxes sit lower as well so the XR has to sit beneath it and then this cab has been lowered still so the whole thing's 200 mil lower and then the cab is another 200 mil lower and the whole caboodle is 300 mil narrower the reason for that is because you want a small frontal area as possible for as little drag as possible so you will notice that sort of front bumper which has a kind of splitter effected diverts some air underneath it diverts somewhere around the bodywork the drag coefficient is something like naught point 4 H it's not spectacular by say right car standards but it's very good buy tractor status some of the air goes underneath and there is a little bit of lift but this is still quite heavy it's not a massive issue this is kind of 50/50 balance front and rear so that's not a big deal either so the world's fastest tractor weighs just under five tons as opposed to a standard JCB fast track which weighs in at eight and a half to nine tons depending on its equipment so in addition to reducing the weight of the things there on it the other thing you can do to make it weigh less is not put some things on it at all so you may note these three tanks they are because there is no compressor on board because compressors are heavy there's also no huge battery on board so you know I said you don't want to stall it that's because if you want to start it again somebody has to plug it into a big battery or a big generator and that requires a van driving alongside it so basically don't stall it this bottom tank here puts compressed as a scuba-dive tank it puts compressed air into the turbocharger to keep it spinning between gear shifts because you just want to keep that turbo spinning at all times the two tanks above it are arguably even more crucial because they are the compressed air canisters for the air braking system and once they're empty there are no brakes thankfully they do about 40 stops these guys tend to recharge them after about 20 and this is not a vehicle that does many stops anyway but anyway that is there because there is no compressor onboard the brakes incidentally are discs front and rear twin caliper at the front single caliper at the back and there the standard fast-track brakes because although this has to stop from 150 miles an hour it doesn't have to do it very often and it only weighs just under five tonnes rather than eight and a half to nine tons it's not towing anything else so they are more than up to the job there is however a parachute here you may note which is more for a more for look than effect I think but anyway let's go around and take a look inside alright so in here it doesn't feel very tractor ease at all it almost feels like a kind of cartoonish and big version of a race car there's a huge FIA roll cage which is bolted directly to the chassis I'm in this big fi a seat with harnesses and then in front of me although this is the standard fast-track steering wheel the steering lock has been reduced because all I need to do is go in a straight line it's about three turns between locks and it's a hydraulic system so there's actually not a direct mechanical link with the front wheels it's a hydraulic link to the front wheels you've got three big fat normal JCB pedals and then this huge 6-speed h-pattern manual gearshift so it feels really focused really businesslike I've got these emergency exit panels should I really need them it's a really cool functional feeling interior on which note it is probably time to go for a drive this tractor has been so close to its design limitation when it's getting something 250 mile an hour run I detected a few hairlike practically for the they don't want to run it back well so instead of a thousand horsepower I have approximately five six hundred which is what this tractor did in sort of July this year when it went at just over 100 miles an hour but I can see 71 degrees or 51 degrees gearbox temperature and then WCA ECI power remember while it is at some water temperature just saying at 15 degrees brought Sony to one because if I too big it's not designed to come down through the gears so basically he's off because of the sport did use all of the fall of the rub way everything is fantastic Happy Days let's see next time what I loved about fast track is not just how fast it goes but how easily it does it it's totally straight totally immune to the crosswinds it is a real testament to the engineers who put it together and it's a fantastic speed record machine for more brilliant machines join us throughout to 2020 thanks for watching autocar in 2019 and we're would be back in the new year with loads of new fantastic videos including the return of will it drift and also a series of how-to videos so Merry Christmas Happy New Year and we'll see you very very soonthis is the world's fastest tractor it's called the JCB fast-track - and it recently averaged 135 point one nine miles an hour with a peak speed of more than 150 miles an hour as it set a new world speed record for modified tractors it's the subject of the 2019 Autocar Christmas road test and I'm going to give you a full technical overview the likes of which you will not see anywhere else and then we're going to go for a drive this the world's fastest tractor is based on this similar JCB fast track so let's start by having a look at the engine because without that if I just lift up this engine cover which is out of the standard mode but aluminium to make it lighter and nestled in behind all of these ancillaries is a JCB 6 7 2 diesel engine that means it has six cylinders and a capacity of 7.2 liters now it's block head and crank shafts are all the same as a standard JCB the Pistons are standard but machined down to give a lower compression ratio and there is a huge turbo whose best work is done above 2500 rpm now typically a tractor may operate at around 1,500 rpm but here there is a 3400 rpm redline peak power is 1016 horsepower peak torque is thirteen hundred and forty foot-pounds but one result of that vast turbo is that there is quite a lot of turbo lag so there's four intakes here this is the main engine air intake but you see one to this side as well which is for an electrically driven supercharger which tries to keep the turbo spinning at low revolutions there's two down here as well this is for an oil cooler this is for a torsional damper on the engine now it still has a four valve per cylinder head the exhaust valves are a different material because the combustion temperatures are so much hotter than standard and that comes out into an exhaust a 3d printed inconel exhaust which gets to pretty much 1,000 degrees centigrade so there's loads of heat everywhere so how do you mitigate some of that heat well you load up these pods at the front with 25 kilos of ice for each run that you want to make and that goes that passes through the water from that passes through this massive massive massive massive water to air intercooler which can take air that's coming from the turbocharger comes through the turbocharged there might be two hundred and eighty degrees or more when it's coming into this intercooler by the time it goes out it's ten degrees centigrade and then there's some more water injection onto the inlet rail as well so it just lets loads of air in loads of fuel in the big of the bang are the more power it makes now let's stick with the engine and transmission it drives through a truck ZF 6-speed manual transmission which is unusual tractors usually use a CVT and it's got a it's got a foot operated clutch now that's using a JCB clutch that they developed in the late 80s early 90s it's an 8 plate multi-plate clutch with a all in a wet oil bath and the idea is you slip it now if somebody like me who comes from cars and if you're driving rare valuable weird cars owners quite often say look the clutches on these are really expensive you know please don't bring they don't last very long you're better off stalling than slipping the clutch because we don't want to wear the clutch jam pretty much the opposite is true here for reasons I'll come to in a minute you don't really want to stall this so what you want to do is slip the clutch massively when JCB is testing these clutches it fits them to a tractor they pull 20 tons they go at full speed and then they just put it in reverse and they let the clutch do all of the slip it's a sort of an abuse test but this this is this is how strong those clutches have to be so it's designed to have loads of rifts put on and the clutch slipped all the time while this thing accelerates now this fast track is rear-wheel drive most fast tracks are four-wheel drive but this doesn't have to go off-road it doesn't have to pull anything it just has to go in a completely straight line so the geometry is dead straight it drives straight out through this six-speed gearbox fifth gear is a one to one ratio tractors usually have a reduction gear on each wheel this doesn't get that it just goes straight to a spool differential on the back so the prop shaft is from another tractor but it is a standard prop shaft the pinion and crown wheel our standard fast-track pinion and then the spool differential locks the rear diff so the both rear wheels travel at the same speed which means you have to take a very broad turning circle when you go anywhere because the wheels don't shift at different speeds now these tires come from a standard tire mold however they are made from a different compound to usual and they've been tested to 160 miles an hour on an aircraft test rig the tread depth is usually 27 to 30 millimeters but here it has been buffed down to 10 millimeters so it still looks a little bit Traktor II and each tire weighs 80 kilograms now in the outside of the tire there are two steel bands to limit the expansion of the tire at speed and at 150 miles an hour these tires are only expanding by two millimeters it's not only the wheels and tires that are lower the whole thing is lower so a fast track is unusual in tractor terms in that it has a separate chassis which makes it slightly more truck like than Frank there's a lot of tractors for ruggedness they just have a unsuspended rear end and then the suspension is all done in the cap or fast track isn't like that it has a chassis running through so I think you go normal tractors trucks and fast tracks and Unimogs are sort of somewhere in the middle if the - which is why this is a quick thing all around and quite good because I got on road handling by tractor standards so the chassis on this has been lightened for a start but also there's a center section which has been lowered so overall it's it's 200 mil lower which is why you may know the front axle on this is v-shaped rather than straight across because it just means get the engine in game boxes sit lower as well so the XR has to sit beneath it and then this cab has been lowered still so the whole thing's 200 mil lower and then the cab is another 200 mil lower and the whole caboodle is 300 mil narrower the reason for that is because you want a small frontal area as possible for as little drag as possible so you will notice that sort of front bumper which has a kind of splitter effected diverts some air underneath it diverts somewhere around the bodywork the drag coefficient is something like naught point 4 H it's not spectacular by say right car standards but it's very good buy tractor status some of the air goes underneath and there is a little bit of lift but this is still quite heavy it's not a massive issue this is kind of 50/50 balance front and rear so that's not a big deal either so the world's fastest tractor weighs just under five tons as opposed to a standard JCB fast track which weighs in at eight and a half to nine tons depending on its equipment so in addition to reducing the weight of the things there on it the other thing you can do to make it weigh less is not put some things on it at all so you may note these three tanks they are because there is no compressor on board because compressors are heavy there's also no huge battery on board so you know I said you don't want to stall it that's because if you want to start it again somebody has to plug it into a big battery or a big generator and that requires a van driving alongside it so basically don't stall it this bottom tank here puts compressed as a scuba-dive tank it puts compressed air into the turbocharger to keep it spinning between gear shifts because you just want to keep that turbo spinning at all times the two tanks above it are arguably even more crucial because they are the compressed air canisters for the air braking system and once they're empty there are no brakes thankfully they do about 40 stops these guys tend to recharge them after about 20 and this is not a vehicle that does many stops anyway but anyway that is there because there is no compressor onboard the brakes incidentally are discs front and rear twin caliper at the front single caliper at the back and there the standard fast-track brakes because although this has to stop from 150 miles an hour it doesn't have to do it very often and it only weighs just under five tonnes rather than eight and a half to nine tons it's not towing anything else so they are more than up to the job there is however a parachute here you may note which is more for a more for look than effect I think but anyway let's go around and take a look inside alright so in here it doesn't feel very tractor ease at all it almost feels like a kind of cartoonish and big version of a race car there's a huge FIA roll cage which is bolted directly to the chassis I'm in this big fi a seat with harnesses and then in front of me although this is the standard fast-track steering wheel the steering lock has been reduced because all I need to do is go in a straight line it's about three turns between locks and it's a hydraulic system so there's actually not a direct mechanical link with the front wheels it's a hydraulic link to the front wheels you've got three big fat normal JCB pedals and then this huge 6-speed h-pattern manual gearshift so it feels really focused really businesslike I've got these emergency exit panels should I really need them it's a really cool functional feeling interior on which note it is probably time to go for a drive this tractor has been so close to its design limitation when it's getting something 250 mile an hour run I detected a few hairlike practically for the they don't want to run it back well so instead of a thousand horsepower I have approximately five six hundred which is what this tractor did in sort of July this year when it went at just over 100 miles an hour but I can see 71 degrees or 51 degrees gearbox temperature and then WCA ECI power remember while it is at some water temperature just saying at 15 degrees brought Sony to one because if I too big it's not designed to come down through the gears so basically he's off because of the sport did use all of the fall of the rub way everything is fantastic Happy Days let's see next time what I loved about fast track is not just how fast it goes but how easily it does it it's totally straight totally immune to the crosswinds it is a real testament to the engineers who put it together and it's a fantastic speed record machine for more brilliant machines join us throughout to 2020 thanks for watching autocar in 2019 and we're would be back in the new year with loads of new fantastic videos including the return of will it drift and also a series of how-to videos so Merry Christmas Happy New Year and we'll see you very very soon\n"