Jay Leno's tank car gets twin turbos
Automotive enthusiasts the world over have become intimately familiar with many of the exotic, muscle and classic cars contained within Jay Leno's personal collection. One of the most famous is his Tank Car, which was featured as a driveable vehicle (video) in Gran Turismo 4. The imposing hot rod is powered by a 1792 cid V-12 Continental-designed, Chrsyler-built tank engine (hence the name) producing 810 hp and 1,560 ft-lbs. of torque. In these days where a $1.25 million Bugatti Veyron puts out 1001-hp, however, a Tank Car needs to be packing a piece with more than 810 hp. Right?
Wrong, according to Leno, who enlisted his friend and turbo legend Gale Banks to address the Tank Car's glaring power deficiency. The solution was a pair of turbos source from Honeywell/Garrett Turbo Technologies that cost 10 grand a piece and are normally used by Toyota's CART program. Many of the turbo systems components were custom made by Banks and his team out of solid billet aluminum and Robert Bosche company was tapped to convert the engine to fuel injection. The outcome should be an output in the neighborhood of 1,600 horsepower and 3,000 ft-lbs. of torque, more than enough to embarrass a Bugatti Veyron on paper. Not all of that power can be channeled though the Tank Car's 6-speed Allison transmission, though, so the motor will need to be limited at least in First, according to Popular Mechanics.
The Twin-Turbo Tank Car will be making its first public appearance at the Woodward Dream Cruise in a few weeks, and we'll be sure to stop by and check it out on our way up and down Woodward Ave.
Thanks for the tank tip, Tim!
[Source: Popular Mechanics via RideRoom]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
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Hung2 7:11PM (7/31/2006)
He should have loaned it to Mel Gibson.
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Bryan 7:17PM (7/31/2006)
"In these days where a $1.25 million Bugatti Veyron puts out 1001-hp, however, a Tank Car needs to be packing a piece with more than 810 hp. Right?
Wrong, according to Leno..."
Uh, shouldn't that be RIGHT, if Leno is upgrading it to make more than 810hp?
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Jeff 7:18PM (7/31/2006)
I think he should have supercharged it. That just seems so much more.... badass.
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Jason 7:58PM (7/31/2006)
Supercharged it with a visible chain, with links the size of Coke cans. :D
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Tim 8:10PM (7/31/2006)
I can't wait to see it when i go up to woodward in a few weeks.
He should have put that engine in a pinto wagon for the shock factor in dragraces.....At least until it exploded anyway.
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philmcneal 12:13AM (8/01/2006)
i bet it doesn't even get a mile a gallon
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Johnaton 3:24AM (8/01/2006)
Run like the fire it blows.
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Eric Bryant 7:53AM (8/01/2006)
At WOT, this thing will probably sound like Satan's own hairdryer.
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asurroca 9:12AM (8/01/2006)
Not the turbo- versus supercharging debate again. He should have just turbo-supercharged it and gotten the best of both worlds! And thrown in a jet engine for good measure.... ;)
Seriously, I can't wait for this car to be unveiled to the public, and hope someone at that Woodward Dream Cruise films that and puts it online ASAP!
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davidl340 9:21AM (8/01/2006)
Cool, but with those tires, he'll NEVER go full throttle and get it to the ground, unless he's going 150 mph in a high gear or something.
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Eric 11:57AM (8/01/2006)
"i bet it doesn't even get a mile a gallon"
Posted at 12:13AM on Aug 1st 2006 by philmcneal
I'm officially ticketing you for PUI (Posting Under the Influence). You can plead insanity later.
Or, you can get out of this ticket now if you just admit to the readers here that you're a complete idiot.
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Simon Chartrand 12:32PM (8/01/2006)
#11 (Eric).
#6 used sarcasms
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m 3:12PM (8/01/2006)
mmmm, BOOOOST
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Keith 11:16PM (8/01/2006)
IIRC, the 0-60 time was like 8.7 seconds. No wonder he is putting some turbos on it! The thing is pathetically slow (but very, very cool).
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gas saver 7:13PM (8/05/2006)
What kind of gas mileage do you think that engine gets? I guess it doesn't matter with that kind of money.
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desert motel 10:44PM (8/06/2006)
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY MR. LENO DEFIED ALL GRAVITY WHILE REVIEWING A MODERN "ROAD MOVIE" ON HIS DEBUT AS A FILM CRITIC WITHOUT MENTIONING WHAT MANY ENTHUTHIASTS CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN "ROAD MOVIE" EVER MADE - TWO LANE BLACKTOP, BY DIR. MONTY HELLMAN. I'M DISAPOINTED THAT SUCH A PUBLIC FIGURE AS MR. LENO WOULD BE IGNORANT OR DISSMISSIVE OF THE CONTRIBUTION THAT MR. HELLMAN HAS MADE, AND CONTINUES TO MAKE, TO NOT ONLY TO THE "ROAD MOVIE", BUT THE ART OF MOVIE MAKING.
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