THIS could be the fastest steam car in the world - with a Lymington driver behind the wheel.

Charles Burnett III of Newtown Park, Portmore, Lymington - a relative of motoring enthusiast Lord Montagu of Beaulieu - will drive Inspire, built by the British Steam Car Team.

Test driver Don Wales, nephew of speed legend Donald Campbell, has been putting the car through its paces at Newtown Park this week prior to speed testing on the airfield at Thorney Island next week.

The car will the nbe shipped from Ports-mouth to New York on August 28 and taken overland to the Salt Flats at Bonneville, Utah in mid-September.

Don Wales will test the car at high speed to make sure it is ready for the national and world steam-powered land speed record attempts.

Charles Burnett will take the wheel for the attempts during World of Speed week from September 22 to 27.

The team were intending to attempt the record at Bonneville Speed Week this week.

But project leader Matt Candy said: "The car was in steam but we'd run out of time to undertake dynamic testing.

"We could have shipped the car to America and done the testing there but that might have meant difficulties.

"We decided to stick to our plan of doing test runs in the UK, knowing we had full technical back-up available.

"This means we missed Bonneville Speed Week and we'll go to World of Speed in September instead."

It is hoped the 25ft long three tonne vehicle will beat the 127.659mph record, set by Fred Marriott in a Stanley Steamer in 1906.