Chasing 800

A 79-year-old man from Clevedon is about to attempt something no human being has ever done. Reg Cook wants to drive faster than 800 kilometres per hour in a car he built in his shed.

Not a factory. Not a multimillion-dollar motorsport facility. A shed in Clevedon — where Reg and his team have hand-built Wairua 2: a 1.7-tonne streamliner powered by an 8-litre twin-turbo Big Block Chev V8, designed from scratch with Kiwi ingenuity and an absolute refusal to think small.

The current FIA world record for a piston-powered, wheel-driven car sits at 758 km/h. No one has ever crossed 800 kph. If Reg does it, he will be the first person in history.

In 2025 at the Uyuni Salt Flat — the only place on Earth long enough to attempt this — Wairua 2 hit 496 km/h on just 40% throttle. The car is ready. It has unfinished business.

There are no global corporate sponsors, no factory cheques. Reg has sold much of what he owns to fund this dream. More than 60 volunteers pay their own way to Bolivia and give their time for nothing.

Your donation puts Wairua 2 on that salt flat and gives Reg his shot at history. Every dollar makes you part of the team.

Come along for the ride.