New world land speed record (for the blind)

SL65 AMG Black

A new world land speed record was set with a Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series this week. The car hit 322.5km/h at an Upington International Airport runway. The best part is – it was set by a blind man, Hein Wagner. And the record is of course the “land speed record for the blind.”

Wagner is a motivational speaker and he was born blind. He had also previously set a world land speed record for the blind back in 2005 in a Maserati, clocking 269km/h. It must be pretty scary to go that fast in a car when you can’t see.

His next challenge? Flying a Boeing with passengers from London to Johannesburg!

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Thomas on Oct 08, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    OMG! Unbelievable….

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  • initial R on Oct 08, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    Even in Star Trek blindman can fix spaceship engine….. hehehe

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  • Aizat on Oct 08, 2009 at 8:45 pm

    "His next challenge? Flying a Boeing with passengers from London to Johannesburg!"

    ——————–

    Ohho .. who want to volunteer? gagaga..

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  • rexis on Oct 08, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    Any details on how the hell did he steer? We really shouldn't encourage blind driving!

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  • p1basher on Oct 08, 2009 at 9:23 pm

    wonder how he drives, just press gas pedal??

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  • tonton on Oct 08, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    maybe someone assisting him using walkie talkie or sort. huhu

    in top gear series, i've seen the clips on a blind driving a M5. on straight of course.

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  • osh_kosh on Oct 08, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    "It must be pretty scary to go that fast in a car when you can’t see…."

    ————-

    on the contrary I think it's better if u can't see… what scare u is the fact that u can see how fast u r going… anyway, for sure this record was made on a straight line… he just slam the pedal to the floor & someone must have tell him when to hit the brake, how hard is that? (not that i look down on this fella)… to me that record have small meaning… but flying a boeing with passenggers now that's a challenge…. if that also include lift off & landing the plane

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  • nabill on Oct 08, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    meanigless…maybe out of sympathy we can say woah , wat an achievement,bt relaistically ,so wat?? i tink he should go back being a motivational speaker where he can influnce ppl the right way rather than driving at crazy speeds …..rediculous….

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  • bmpower on Oct 08, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    if he is not a blind man.

    I'm sure he will not do such a thing.

    hahaha

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  • adlanb20 on Oct 08, 2009 at 10:18 pm

    I saw a blind man motorbike speed record on TV once, and how they did it was there were able outriders and he'd follow the sound of the outriders bikes, and they also communicated via radio la…

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  • mystvearn on Oct 08, 2009 at 11:35 pm

    Airplanes can take off, fly and land by themselves. So Autopilot will settle most of the problems

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  • Solen on Oct 09, 2009 at 12:10 am

    if that guy is malaysian, for sure you all will hentam habis2.

    wasting of government money.

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  • "if that guy is malaysian, for sure you all will hentam habis2.

    wasting of government money."

    What money is being wasted?

    Not everything is about the government.

    Quit trying to link every damn thing to your dissatisfaction of the govt.

    My question is, why is this even worth noting?

    Next week a guy with down syndrome reach 325kmph we celebrate as well?

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  • osh_kosh on Oct 09, 2009 at 12:34 am

    @Solen,

    Yup, for sure we Malaysian will hentam habis2 if Big G buy that Merc so that this blind man can break a record… but if that Merc was his & without any G sponsor then we will be happy for him, but still the record mean little to me…

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  • kimi_ on Oct 09, 2009 at 2:49 am

    Of course you all will say it is meaningless….

    But you all should know that he is blind so it means a lot to him and also

    motivate other blind people that nothing is impossible and even the blind

    can beat normal person…now we should be ashamed…

    We should respect for them who are disable and not criticize them !!!!

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  • osh_kosh on Oct 09, 2009 at 3:36 am

    @kimi,

    u got it all wrong bro… who's critizing him? only say that it mean little… how can holding the title of being the fastest blind man on wheels mean a lot? it mean something but just that… to me, a disable person who can score better in their SPM than normal ppl mean a lot more than that record… i know a blind man who's holding a PHD & he has my highest respect… that's meaningful… & i do said earlier that if that fella can fly that boeing then it would mean a lot more…

    btw, i don't even care of the man (normal) person who set the fastest world land speed record either… it mean little, think about it, if the technologies 50 years ago was similar to today, don't u think that there's a possibilities that it can be set by someone else?

    unless it was Usain Bolt.. now that's meaningful.. being the fastest man on earth!! (by foot)

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  • Any tom, dick, and kimi with the ability to put his foot down the gas pedal in an SL65 can do that.

    Wow, isn't that 98% of the world population?

    It's simply not worth mentioning.

    The flame is not directed at paul. lol.

    Rather, it's directed at the dumb press whom misled paul. =P

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  • NutzeyWagen on Oct 09, 2009 at 4:31 am

    Love the car, not the stunt. Just look and stare at its' curves. Ooh…..beautiful!

    Looks fast even at stand-still, come rain or shine! CIAO!

    German-made. My favourite type of cars.

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  • jolly_idiot on Oct 09, 2009 at 6:20 am

    Unbelievable. He still survive.

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  • Leonardo on Oct 09, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    Alex Zanardi is still racing and winning WTCC without both legs! All controls is via hand padels, including accelerator and brake. He is racing with other professionals, including ex-F1 drivers, without any 'handicap' (pun intended). Now that's worth noting.

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  • R0NaLD0 on Oct 09, 2009 at 7:52 pm

    Wen said,

    Any tom, dick, and kimi with the ability to put his foot down the gas pedal in an SL65 can do that.

    U forgot to include monkey,gorilla,orang utan and baboon……….lol

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  • solen on Oct 09, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    NutzeyWagen said,

    Love the car, not the stunt. Just look and stare at its’ curves. Ooh…..beautiful!

    Looks fast even at stand-still, come rain or shine! CIAO!

    German-made. My favourite type of cars.

    _________________________________________________________

    even the kereta sorong made in german also ur favourite

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  • NutzeyWagen on Oct 09, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    solen: Yes, as a matter of fact, even the kereta sorong made in Germany is one of my favourites. Compared to those made elsewhere, those made in Germany last almost a life time, come rain or shine! CIAO!

    German-made. My favourite type of cars.

    P.S.: solen, what's yours?

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  • Anyone want to be the fastest person driving a car backward?

    How about getting a dog driving a car, over 200kph? A cat perhaps?

    How about driving the car with remote control, over 300kph?

    How about getting the fattest person and drive the car?

    How about the oldest man (in the world) to drive te car?

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  • rally_fan on Oct 10, 2009 at 8:25 am

    great achievement. its stories like these and people like these that makes the news worth reading sometimes..

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