UK go-kart faster than a Dodge Demon

London: It runs 9.30 at 138 mph with the driver literally a couple of inches off the ground. Yes, we’re exercising some creative liberty with that headline and yes, comparing a factory-built street car to a dedicated race car isn’t a fair comparison.

In actuality, we aren’t comparing a street car to a race car. These are bloody go-karts, complete with tiny wheels, tiny pedals, a tiny engine, and no appreciable suspension. For that matter, there isn’t any roll cage so of all the tiny things seen here, strapping into one of these mini-racers requires massive – well you get the idea.

We’re not trying to throw shade towards the Dodge Challenger Demon. It’s a sickeningly quick car, and yes, any car can be made fast if you throw enough money at it. But again – this isn’t a car, it’s a go-kart. By definition there shouldn’t be enough room for a powertrain large enough to generate such accelerative force. And yet, this video from Mk1Kieran on YouTube shows a rather ferocious go-kart running 9.30 at 138.58 mph in the quarter mile. Insane? Nope, we’re way beyond that.

You’re probably expecting this footage to come from some U.S.-based track where racing fuel and Tennessee whiskey share equal space in the workshop. Let’s be honest though – if that were the case we’d be dealing with V8 go-karts putting on an endless smoke show. This exhibition of ludicrous speed actually comes from Santa Pod Raceway herer in the UK, where this sort of thing apparently happens more often than not. Sadly we don’t have details on the powertrains for these crazy karts, but does it matter? These guys are hitting speeds where jumbo jets take off, and they’re literally sitting inches off the ground while doing it.

We need to give the Road & Track team a shout out for this morsel of madness. 9-second go-karts now ranks near the top of our beyond insanity board, right up there with the Hellcat-swapped MX-5 and the Russians who jumped a burning car into a frozen lake.