It's been a minute since we last visited the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds. Based at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, this is the first new top-speed video from the famous runway we've seen in nine months. And it's one for the books.
What we have here is a 2006 Ford GT with a few modifications. By few we mean pretty much all of them, because this first-gen Ford supercar has a top speed well beyond its original 200-mph limit. It's actually owned by Johnny Bohmer himself, purchased new in 2006 and tweaked through the years to be gratuitously fast while still being legal for road use.
The video description for this top-speed run doesn't offer a list of all the upgrades, but there's certainly no missing the upgraded exhaust note and boost pipes snaking around the backside for delivering prolific pressure to the V8 engine. A parachute is also a good indicator of excessive speed, and a full roll cage inside further confirms this GT isn't a typical commuter car. And yet, the Ford is listed as having air conditioning, a stereo, and a passenger seat. Apparently, Bohmer still uses the car for occasional errands around town.
This particular drive, however, is no milk run. Tests were being conducted on a new ECU system, and it was going so well that Bohmer decided to attempt a flat-out speed run. With Richard Rawlings from Gas Monkey Garage on hand (GMG is listed as a sponsor), Bohmer literally drove his Ford GT off the end of the runway. In the process, he reached 310.8 mph according to the digital speed readout on the car's dash.
That's well beyond the current official Guinness World Record for a street-legal car in a standing mile, which coincidentally is also held by Bohmer at 283.23 mph. Mind you, that's the official Guinness record. In 2019, another Ford GT clocked 300.4 mph at the Texas Mile event but wasn't certified by Guinness World Records. Bohmer says the recent 310-mph run was measured using a Racelogic VBox Performance Box Touch, four Garmin Ultra 30 cameras, and equipment from FuelTech.
It's unclear if Guinness World Records will look into this run, but if certified, Bohmer will officially have the fastest road-legal car in the world.
