Blurring its way to a world title. (Photo: Norwegian Speed Factory/Facebook)
On Friday November 6, an unusual vehicle sped down the rain-slicked runway of Norway's Torp Sandefjord Airport. It wasn't a plane, a helicopter, or even one of those inscrutable little airport conveyances. It was a souped-up Viking T6 lawnmower, eschewing grass for pavement in search of a world speed title.
The Norwegians behind the green machine have been working on it for several months, in collaboration with VIKING gardening company. Led by driver Pekka Lundefaret, the team shredded their goal, bringing the mower up to 133.5 miles per hour and slicing up last year's record of 117 miles per hour.
"This is so great," Lundefaret told his hometown news outlet, Conpot. "I had never imagined that we might make a new world record today under these conditions."
The mower has traded in much of its traditional hardware for speedier gear, and boasts a 408-horsepower V8 engine and Formula 3 wheels. Some fear that in its quest for greatness, the machine has traded its soul–its grass clipping collector, for example, has been converted into a fuel tank. As one YouTube commenter put it, "What about that thing is a lawnmower?" At press time, the World's Fastest Lawnmower was presumably zooming too quickly to respond.
Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that's only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.