A SUPERSONIC car designed to go faster than the speed of sound and smash existing records will be in the borough next week.

Metconnect Ltd, the Oldham company involved in the creation of the rocket and jet powered Bloodhound SSC - which will cover a mile in just over three seconds - is preparing to showcase this incredible automotive beast at its Hollinwood base.

Its jet engine and rocket power combined will produce more than 135,000 horsepower - that’s more than six times the power of all the Formula 1 cars on a starting grid put together.

Later this year it will head to South Africa to a specially created track to run for the first time at 500mph.

It will be a key milestone on the journey to setting a new world land speed record - currently held by the Thrust SSC which achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and became the first land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier in 1997.

The Bloodhound will be on display for two days during Metconnect Ltd’s WELDSHOP 2018 Exhibition and Open Days on February 22 and 23.

It will be the gleaming centrepiece of the event at its Oldham site of engineering welding, metal fabrication, machinery and technologies and it will be accompanied by members of the Bristol-based Bloodhound design and construction team.

The car is a unique high-technology, all-British project to design and build a car that will break the 1,000mph barrier and set a new land speed record.

Metconnect Ltd - a MerkleUK group company - is the exclusive sponsor of engineering welding equipment and accessories for the project and the principal supplier of technical support on all of the metal-welded and metal-joined components found on the supersonic car.

Michael Rush, MerkleUK and Metconnect spokesman said: “We are proud to be hosting our exhibition and open days from our premises in Oldham.

“Weldingshop18 is the largest showcase of welding, cutting, joining and fabrication technologies in the North. We have managed to attract suppliers not only from all over England but from Germany, Italy, Scotland and the United States.

“The two day event will showcase live demonstrations, product displays, alongside our own quality branded equipment housed in our custom-built marque at the side of the premises.

“Since our last show the company has gone from strength to strength and we feel this is reflected in the size and scale of the show.

“Alongside these attractions we will also be displaying The Bloodhoound SSC car.

“As the sole welding sponsors of the car from inception, it gives us great pride as an Oldham company to be involved in this unique British project that will eventually see the Bloodhound car break the landspeed record and travel at 1,200mph.”

Bloodhound SSC is around 13.4m long and weighs seven-and-a-half tonnes. The design is a mix of car and aircraft technology, with the front section being a carbon fibre monocoque - like a racing car - and the back portion being a metallic framework and panels - like an aircraft.

Some 30 world class national and international exhibitors will be showcasing their products at the show.