THE TEAM behind a supersonic car designed to travel at 1,000 miles an hour and break the world land speed record has been inspiring student engineers.

A lifesize replica of the Bloodhound SSC car rolled up to Bicester and Banbury College, which is hosting the Bloodhound STEM roadshow this week, for students to get a glimpse of life in the fast lane.

School pupils were also able to get up close to the replica car, built by British engineers to break the current land speed record of 763mph, and try out engineering and computing activities.

Members of the public also have a chance to cast their eyes over the model vehicle, as the roadshow is open tomorrow, from 10am to 1pm at the college's Bicester campus in Telford Road.

The current land speed record was set in 1997, but the Bloodhound team hopes to break the 1,000mph barrier.

The roadshow arrived at the college on Monday and has been inspiring students from schools across North Oxfordshire, including The Cooper School, Bicester Community College, Charlton-on-Otmoor CofE Primary School and Launton CofE Primary School.

Pupils from years three to nine have been given the chance to explore the lifesize replica of the supersonic car, which has been split in half to reveal the technology inside.

The roadshow team has hosted workshops related to engineering and computing. Students also turned their hand to 3D printing, making K-NEX model cars to race.

There was also a desert workshop to simulate the living conditions the team will face when attempting to break the record in South Africa in September.

Richard Reeves, 14, a pupil at Bicester Community College, said: “It has been a great experience. It is far better than I expected, as you get to see inside the car and see how the jet engine works.

“I've studied principles of flight, so to find out about the aerodynamics of Bloodhound has been especially interesting for me.”

Fellow Community College pupil, Kathleen Tablanda, 14, said: “It has been really fun and fascinating. I'd not considered a career in engineering before, but I have found it really interesting, especially when we got to build a car.

“I think an event like this would definitely inspire girls to consider a career in engineering.”

Katie Key, 13, added: “I liked learning about how Bloodhound will get to 1,000mph and all the science that goes into that. It has been far more hands-on than I was expecting.”

Banbury and Bicester College principal Rose Turner said: “We are extremely excited to have the roadshow in Bicester and to be able to work with local schools to offer so many young people access to this feat of science and engineering. We hope the visit will inspire more young people into careers in science and engineering.”