Pioneer 1 (land speed racer)
Pioneer 1 is a Soviet "FIA" Group VII land speed record car built in 1960 under the guidance of sportsman and engineer Ilya Aleksandrovich Tikhomirov. Derived from the Kharkov-L1, the body was aluminum and the wheels made from magnesium alloy. It was powered by two gas turbine engines ( each at 50,000 rpm) mounted either side of the driver. The second stage of each turbine drove a planetary reduction gearbox, mated to a central driving unit pirated from the Kharkov-L1. The turbines were fitted with a water-methanol injection system. "Pioneer 1" weighed in  at , making it eligible for "FIA" Class 1 ( and under). It was claimed to have set a Class 1 record of for the measured kilometer at the Baskunchak dry salt lake, and was the first Soviet land speed racer to exceed . In 1962, the power of the engines was increased to , while weight rose to . The improved car raised the Class 1 and Soviet national records for the measured kilometer to . In 1963, Tikhomirov modified "Pioneer 1" even further, to create "Pioneer 2M".