Engineer races into record books

A Warwickshire engineer has raced into the record books after designing a remote-controlled car capable of travelling at more than 250mph.

Rugby-based Stephen Wallis has set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest remote-controlled car, using nearly 25 years of engineering experience to develop his high-speed creation, Mach Reaper.

The mechanical engineer, who has previously worked with Royal Enfield, Triumph Motorcycles and Greenjets, spent eight months designing, building and testing the vehicle, pictured below.

Using PTC’s cloud-based Onshape design software, Stephen developed around 40 components before putting the car through its paces at a Radio Operated Scale Speed Association event at Llanbedr Airfield in North Wales.

Mach Reaper reached 250.67mph, breaking the previous Guinness World Record and becoming the first remote-controlled car to exceed 250mph.

Just weeks later, Stephen surpassed his own achievement, recording 256.47mph at an unofficial speed event.

He credits Onshape’s intuitive design tools and cloud-based capabilities with helping accelerate development, while 3D printing and traditional manufacturing techniques were used to produce the vehicle’s components.

Stephen, whose YouTube Channel attracts tens of thousands of regular viewers, said: “At these speeds everything becomes difficult. 

“Aerodynamics, tyres, electronics and reliability must all work together and there have been many iterations along the way to fine tune performance.

“I first used Creo while studying mechanical engineering at Imperial College London in 2002 and have continued to use PTC solutions throughout my career in motorcycle and product development. 

“When I started the Mach Reaper project, Onshape gave me the flexibility, accessibility and design capabilities needed to move quickly from concept through to testing and refinement.”

PTC, which has its UK headquarters in London, provides digital engineering and design solutions to businesses across multiple industries.

Stephen is now exploring plans to build a remote-controlled car capable of exceeding 300mph, while also supporting his son Roy’s own record-breaking ambitions.

Greg Brown, vice president of product management at Onshape by PTC, added: “Stephen's achievement is a remarkable example of what happens when engineering talent, determination and modern product development tools come together. 

“In just eight months, he transformed an ambitious idea into a world-record-breaking vehicle, and we're proud that Onshape played a role in that journey.

“The record itself is impressive, but what stands out most is Stephen’s passion for sharing what he's learned.”

“Through his YouTube channel and work with students, he’s helping inspire the next generation of engineers, makers and innovators to pursue their own ambitious ideas.”

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