The British Steam Car Challenge vehicle, Inspiration (www.steamcar.co.uk) was launched back in 1999 with the aim of breaking the land speed record for a steam powered vehicle. It has now reached the stage where it will shortly undertake trial runs, using the runway at former RAF station Bruntingthorpe.The advanced power and transmission systems are enclosed within a sleek body comprising aluminium panels at the rear, where the boilers are located, and panels comprising an epoxy carbon fibre matrix towards the front of the vehicle. To ensure the integrity of these body panels at speeds that are expected to exceed 200mph, the engineering team has selected stainless steel Smalley Spirawave springs and retaining rings, which are supplied by one of its project sponsors, TFC.Smalley Spirawave springs develop similar forces to conventional round wire or helical springs but occupy a third or less of the same space. This allows them to be used in a tight axial space while also maintaining the same deflection and load specifications of a conventional spring. Because they are integrally formed, eliminating the need to keep the wave crests aligned, the wave peaks hold their configuration without needing to use a key locating device or to insert a shim between individual springs.