Car guys are used to hearing the sounds of roaring American muscle and high-strung Italian exotics. But on May 31st everyone was treated to one of the most unique cars to ever set tire in the parking lot and it was piloted by one of the most well-known car enthusiasts in the world.
Over the sounds of the enthusiasts, came a sound that was completely out of place anywhere accept an airport. The high-pitched whine of a jet engine was unmistakable, but if you looked to the sky for its source, you were looking in the completely wrong direction as this sound was emanating from a car, not a plane. Once everyone's realized this and turned their attention to the street, they saw a bright blue car unlike anything else on the road. As the car eased its way into the parking lot, barely clearing the driveway, the howl of its turbine engine caused everyone to quickly cover their ears. As it eased into a parking spot everyone at the meet quickly made their way over to see who could be piloting such an insane automobile.
It was actually talk show host, comedian, and certified car nut Jay Leno at the helm of the turbine-engined EcoJet concept from the2006 SEMA show. Built as a joint collaboration between GM and Jay’s cadre of mechanics known as Bad Dog Garage, the EcoJet was constructed on a modified Corvette Z06 platform utilizing its framerails, suspension and brakes, all wrapped in a carbon fiber and Kevlar body. It is powered by a Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine, the same engine used in the Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, and produces 650 horsepower and 400 ft-lbs of torque at full throttle. But contrary to what you might think, this car doesn’t have to pull into an airport to refuel. That’s because it doesn’t run off of jet fuel, it runs on BioDiesel. This car was built to show automotive enthusiasts everywhere that horsepower doesn’t necessarily have to be environmentally unfriendly. To add to this car’s green credentials it was even painted with a special environmentally friendly paint formulated by BASF. Continuing with the jet theme, the EcoJet rolls on specially designed Alcoa wheels designed after turbine compressor blades that measure 20 inches in the front and22 inches in the rear and are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires.
After an hour of signing autographs, taking pictures, and sharing the EcoJet with the crowd, it was finally time for Leno to depart. He got in the car and advised everyone to stay clear of the exhaust vents while he fired up the engine. It started with a low-pitched howl but slowly grew into a shrill whine as the turbine came up to power. As he pulled out of the parking spot and down the aisle towards the driveway he was followed by a crowd of photographers and people that just wanted to get one more glimpse at such a special car. Hopefully Jay will be back soon with another unique and amazing car from his vast collection to share with the automotive faithful that gather in Woodland Hills every Sunday.
-Jon Barrett, Lateral-G Photography
Photos: Jon Barrett Lateralgphotography.com