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This, believe it or not, is a BICYCLE which will look to enter the history books as the fastest ever ridden.

The streamlined ARION1 has been designed by students at Liverpool University to potentially reach a speed of 90mph.

"The project is no simple undertaking but, at this stage, just six months in, we are in a great position," said one of the inventors Ben Hogan, 22.

"We understand what we have to do in order to reach our goal, and we are ready for the trials which lie ahead."

You'd struggle to navigate our city streets on this bike, which is completely encased in a carbon-fibre shell and provides the rider with a view of the path ahead via a camera and computer monitor.

He or she rides the contraption, which the students claim is 40 times more aerodynamic than a Bugatti Veyron supercar, in a recumbent position just a few centimetres off the ground.

The existing record speed for a pedal-powered bike is 83.1mph, set by a Dutch team in 2012.

The Liverpool team expect the prototype to be ready in a year's time, with the World Human Power Speed Challenge in the Nevada desert the following September their chance to make history.

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"This is a fascinating project, at the very cutting edge of vehicular engineering," said Philippa Oldham, of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, on the capsule-like design which resembles a glasses case more than a bike.

"The team will have to make sure everything is perfect – from the aerodynamics to the size of the wheels.

"It’s an extremely tough ask to get a human-powered vehicle to travel at 90mph – but with the right engineering approach, it is possible."