Rocket powered car
The description for this eBay auction reads "everybody needs one of these" — indeed. If only we hadn't just plunked down all our cash for that solid-fuel booster propelled BMX bike, we'd be all over this Toyota MR2 powered by twin GE t-58 turbines. We'll have to settle for setting up an all-out deathmatch between this thing and the jet-powered supermarket cart — we'll post up the deets for the betting pool over the weekend.
[Thanks, John]
Filed under: Transportation
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Adam Flanczewski @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Is it street legal? :P
ME @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I wonder what keeps these things from ripping the poor little Toyota inside out when you kick 'em over?
Dan Smith @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
What are the chances Golden Palace Casino will buy it? :o)
Fast @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Seems someone is trying to compete with batman.
Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
He says its street legal on the auction but I don't see how it can be since he's ripped out the normal engine. Imagine driving down to the shops with a JET ENGINE!
Kent @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
In case anyone is interested, the actual auction is here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=15289&item=4561280339&sspagename=WDVW
010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
i really sort of wish more development was done in automotive turbines. dodge had a limited run of prototype/'beta' turbine cars in the 60s but basically nothing since then.
the turbines ability to run on basically any flammable liquid and their rather impressive torque characteristics makes me think that a turbine-electric hybrid wouldn't be a bad idea. basically the turbines can run off of anything and charge up batteries. use electric motors for intown driving... nixing the supposedly poor stop and go performance of turbines. then on highway aa combination of turbine and electric motors.
where does one go about getting a turbine that would be applicable for automotive use anyhow? like something that would work similarly to the dodge?
Christian @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
"...based upon some of the questions I have had asked, be prepared to sign a long liability waiver."
GunForHire @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Wouldn't like getting close behind that thing on the road - scorched paintwork ahoy.
Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I don't believe it. A jet engine needs a lot of air in to push all that air out. Where is the intake come from, the back seat?
jc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
"I think its street legal except for this little excessive noise issue"
This guy is on some serious crack if he thinks this car is street-legal. However, I would love to see the faces of the JiffyLube guys when I pull this in for a lube and filter.
Jonathan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
A Jet engine is a worst gas guzzler than even the most overloaded Hummer could ever be.
He claims the intakes are on the sides of the car and in a modified hood to keep salt out of the turbine. without a very good air intake, the engine will still wor, but it will depend more on the fuel for thrust which means that all those burnout accelerations will likely be between gas stations.
Shane Todd @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Isn't there a Darwin award legend that started off this way? I think they'll be scraping someone out of the side of a mountain soon.
Also, this is just more proof that you can buy practically anything on eBay.
Dull @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
They should have put those engines on a Delorean
Lectoid @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I don't believe it's street legal because it doesn't have a powered reverse. It doesn't take much to make a car street legal, but I believe that's one of them.
655321 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/sub_coll_leno/1302876.html
" If curious guys get too close, their bumper can shrivel up like a roasted marshmallow."
silvscorp @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I believe ge-t58 was the 1st jet turbine to be allowed to use on the commercial helicopters. It only procuces 150hp i think.
Ford had tried a turbined car long time ago and failed in a big time.
dreampc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
It's fake... or at least never actually been used.
Those turbines would MELT all of the surrounding plastic in just a few minutes.
Fake...
Eric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Whats its 1/4 mile time? sub 8?
LMFAO!
narco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
The other day I saw one of those super-customized cars on the 405 with two airplane-looking engines on either side of the spoiler. They weren't actually functioning engines, but it was still pretty funny (and very ugly).
Fishes,
narco.
Poster @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Actually, there's no reason to believe that it's not street legal. All the safety equipment appears to be there. Looks well done. Not that you'd want to drive it on the street. The throttle response of a turbine engine is on the order of 1 to 10 seconds, depending on how much mass is in the rotor. Refueling stops would probably be frequent, too. This car is set up for pure speed, not daily driving, obviously.
As far as the turbine cars of the 60's, they were hugely sucessful pilot programs. Chrysler, GM and Ford all had prototypes and they worked well. They used specially designed engines that were quite different than the aircraft engines in the MR2. Chrysler even had reversible stator blades to provide engine braking. The makers stopped the program because of short sighted environmental regulation. NOx or something, I don't remember exactly. Today's turbines are extremely clean. Thing is, had the Feds not stopped development, we would not be in the political situation we're in today. Previous poster is right, they could run on about anything that will burn. Fellow in my hometown had converted a Corvair to use a small turbine. Ran it on bourbon once just to prove a point. I believe it's even possible to use powdered coal.
Previous poster has another excellent point in that a gas turbine would make a great hybrid. The turbine could run in it's sweet spot, and the generated electricity could be used to power electric motors, or charge a large capacitor. You want to stay away from batteries in trying to store energy because they are horribly ineffecient, wear out fast and are a nightmare for the environment.
Done right, it could be a solution in a few years. Would rather do that than keep waiting for fuel cell vaporware. (evil grin)
Steve @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Well, it'll make a quick job of all those tailgaters...
Project 1221 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
http://www.project1221.com/
Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I was under the impression that turbines were VERY expensive. I don't know how this guy has all this stuff in his car for 18k.
Bruce @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
This is not a rocket powered car. It is a jet powered car. Do I have to tell you the difference between a rocket and a jet?
danielle @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I am sorry but don't these pics look just a bit fake to you? The front end of an MR2 is so light that those engines would have it always on 2 wheels! No way this is real.
dave @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
soooo.... where's the flux capacitor?
Dave Pratt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I think alot of the critics on this post don't have the foggiest idea what they are talking about when they doubt the street legality of this vehicle or when they doubt the authenticity. First of All, the Federal requirements for street legality are rather simple, with rules requiring headlights, brakes, and a few indicator lights inside the cabin; the State laws are were restrictions are introduced, it is highly possible that since this is based on a modified production vehicle that it could still be street legal in a few states where it wouldn't be busted for emissions violations.
Secondly the people calling fake apparently have no idea how simple building something like this really is. Surplus aircraft turbines are plentiful and cheap since they can only be certified and recertified for a certain number of flight hours before the FAA requires them to be taken out of service where they are cannot be legall put into an aircraft. The same thing goes for a lot of the control equipment for a turbine which in all honest is quite simple in it's own right; basically an optical tachometer, a throttle and an EGT gauge. People have been buying these things and building boats and land speed cars for decades now and this clearly one of those projects....
It's obviously not meant to be street driven nor is it meant to be practical. It's meant to be cool and on that count it succeeds. Give credit where it's due and don't be a jerk just because you don't know enough about it to appreciate someone elses fabrication and creativity...
Jayson Elliot @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I emailed the creator of the car, and he sent me two videos of it in action, which I have uploaded:
http://www.zippyvideos.com/167209780631045.html (on a public highway)
http://www.zippyvideos.com/128616447631055.html
(on a salt flat)
According to Eric, the car's owner, he has also created:
1991 MR-2 with the two T-58s [ebay car]
1991 MR-2 with a single J-402
1978 Datsun 280zx with a T-63 Turbine
Jr Dragster with a pair of JFS 100 turbines
Jr Dragster with a Boeing 602 turbine
2003 Mitsubishi eclipse with a T-58 w afterburner
MR-2 with 3 thrust turbocharger turbines
Jayson Elliot @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
If you have any trouble seeing the videos in my earlier post, or want to download them, use these links instead:
http://70.85.80.69/videos/0/63105_68f84.mpg
http://70.85.80.69/videos/0/63104_f9ef2.mpg
splurge @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I think you are all lunatics. Who cares if this is real or not, it's still awesome
jc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
sweet Jayson, thanks for the vids.
Mgs0008b221 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
#7 was the most absurd and uninformed comment I have seen... in quite a while.
James @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
#25, you do realize the engines are PUSHING the car, not trying to turn the wheels. As long as he has enough downforce, going straight is not an issue. Turning however....
Aaron @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Actually, #7 is on the money. There was a company that was developing a turbine-based hybrid. The turbine ran on pretty much any flammable liquid. I'm sure they went out of business when other companies developed less exotic hybrids. They were on Scientific American Frontiers about 5 or 6 years ago.
Search the web for info on turbine-based hybrids. They have been tried.
Mgs0008b221 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
#35 I do not doubt that companies were making turbine automobiles, as I know for a fact and have seen many, MANY GM and Daimler-Chrysler turbine concepts.
What I disagree with is his opinion of a turbine's efficiency for the type of travel we use automobiles for. They cannot accelerate near as fast as internal combustion engines, the price and weight of the engines is disproportional to any benefits, not to mention the noise (which can be overcome) and the danger of spitting out extremely hot vapors out of the back of your car.
Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
I'm not sure if this would be street legal. Surely part of the requirements of being street legal is that is does not pose a hazard to other cars or people...I certinaly wouldn't want to pull up behind it, or walk behind it.
As for use in a hybrid car, I'm still not sure they'd be that great. Turbines are great for some things, but I think GM and all dropped their plans when it became obvious that they were fuel guzzlers in cars. A hybid would be more efficient, but I'd imagine that there are still many other things that rule them out at the moment. I know for one, that turbines are not very good when it it comes to being turned on and off again like the engines in current hybrids are, so the software in charge would probably be more reluctant to switch the turbine off as soon, which would result in wasted fuel. And also as #37 said, hot gas coming out of the car can be a problem.
Justin Bell @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Another thing to point out and nit-pick at while I'm here: Those turbines seem to be used in helicopters mainly, and are therefore probably designed drive a gearbox/shaft, rather than used purely for thrust. Of course, hooking those things up to a gearbox is a lot more complex than just bolting them to the back and using the exaust thrust as the main form of propulsion.
JJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Legality and (obviously) mileage aside, why would you want such a thing? Okay, it's cool and there's the "cause-I-can" factor - I'll give you that.
But this is like *the* automobile equivalent of Paris Hilton. It doesn't get any better when it comes to being an attention whore. Yeah, you'll have your 15 minutes of fame on the evening news but, it's a cop magnet for crying out loud.
I don't know how much fun getting pulled over for doing 36 in a 35 mph zone every single day is. Driving this car is like begging to get a ticket.
justin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
the car of choice should have been a delorean for the obvious back to the future overtones
Glyn @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM
Just thought I'd point out the mistake in the title... the car runs on Jets, not Rockets.