HOT SHOTS: The super tanks will be 40% faster, and handle much better [NATIONAL NEWS ]

Engineers say the upgrades will allow them to outrun and outmanoeuvre their enemies.

The super-charged tanks will be 40% faster, while handling will also be improved.

Experts at BAE Systems, who have installed the new active damping system, say the upgraded CV90 tanks have been smashing speed records.

And bosses reckon it will give Brit troops the vital edge on the frontline.

The system was first used in Formula 1 cars in the 1990s.

It can sense the layout of the terrain ahead and is able to adjust a vehicle’s suspension so it can continue to travel at the same speed.

This means there is less wear and tear on the tanks, potentially saving millions in repairs.

Soldiers will also enjoy a smoother ride and suffer less fatigue, while the guns will be more accurate too.

The suspension system usually operates on carbon fibre racing cars weighing no more than 700 kilos.

But BAE engineers have adapted it to use on heavy-tracked vehicles, some weighing as much as 35 tonnes.

Dan Lindell, CV90 Platform Manager at BAE Systems, said: “Adapting the Active Damping system for the first time from a lightweight car to a heavy tracked vehicle such as CV90 was a unique challenge for us.

“But this advanced technology will deliver results to our customers in terms of vehicle performance and savings on the through-life costs, as well as providing real benefits to the frontline soldier.”

The CV90 is designed and built in Sweden.