Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SEMA, Etc., Green, Supercars, GM
Jay Leno's bio-diesel turbine supercar isn't a joke
UPDATE: Live shots from SEMA show floor added after jump
Jay Leno may have made fun of corn farmers and the Toyota Prius, but he unveiled a stunning mid-engine supercar that is environmentally friendly and hopefully an inspiration to young car enthusiasts. The covers were pulled off Leno's EcoJet on Monday at a late-night ceremony in the Wynn's Hotel in Las Vegas where the car will be displayed at the SEMA Show.
"I drive it, wait for the harvest, get some corn and drive it some more," quipped Leno, who told Autoblog that he is also converting his shop to solar power in an effort to be more environmentally conscious.
Leno said he originally wanted a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle but time constraints killed that idea. Bio-diesel was the backup plan, so Leno sought out a 650-horsepower Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine, mated to a Corvette automatic transaxle. Much of the vehicle platform is based on the C6 Corvette, including a special aluminum frame, brakes and suspension components. What was the targeted top speed for the 2,400-pound car? "How much fun can you have with it," answered Leno, noting the exhaust sounds like "a jet engine taking off."
Designer from the GM Advanced Design Studio worked with sketches Leno originally made on a napkin. Leno said there were no constraints placed on the design, like where the golf clubs would go. The idea was built to be a fast, fun vehicle with design cues pulled from Formula 1 and various aircraft. Perhaps the most eye-catching and innovative design elements are the turbine-inspired, Alcoa-built wheels (20x10 front, 22x12 rear) and the massive exhaust slots -- one for each side of the engine. The water-born paint is from BASF and the interior isn't finished, but Leno promises it will be "cruelty free," so Pam Anderson of PETA fame will take a drive with him.
PHOTO GALLERY:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Dustin 8:31AM (10/31/2006)
He doesn't care if you bring golf clubs, but notice the average driver will have ample "chin room" based on Leno's design.
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Ed 9:01AM (10/31/2006)
What would it take for Jay Leno to just go away, oh yea take Oprah with you. JUST GO AWAY!!!!
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Clay 9:31AM (10/31/2006)
I WANT ONE!!!!!!
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Gek 10:13AM (10/31/2006)
The first image upper image where you only see the back portion of the car, looks great. . . Then the next Full frontal image, yikes!!!
That's North American styling for you. Pretty scary for Halloween. Boo.
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Kirk 10:31AM (10/31/2006)
So they basically took the design of the Cadillac Cien concept and ruined it. That was an awesome looking car but this one, in my opinion, is ugly.
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Biscuit 10:36AM (10/31/2006)
Reminds me a bit of the Saab Aero-X concept. Not the turbine and such of course but just the body shape. Beautiful car.
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Toy Yoda 10:50AM (10/31/2006)
Call me stupid, but I don't know how the car works. Does the car propel forward by expelling the exhaust alone? Or does the exhaust gas turn an impeller which then turns the rear wheels or something?
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Glenn 10:58AM (10/31/2006)
Toy Yoda, read it again.
"650-horsepower Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine, mated to a Corvette automatic transaxle"
The turbine powers the wheels.
Did you know Toyota's first known prototype hybrid car was a 1972 Toyota Crown with gas turbine running a generator? The turbine was NOT connected directly to the wheels. Yep, it has lead-acid batteries and electric motors driving the wheels. Hey, at least they kept at it until they got it right.
GM hasn't got time to work on anything to (finally) get it right. It's out of money, soon, out of existance. Ford, too. Don't know why GM is wasting resources on stuff like this except to say "see? we aren't bankrupt!" (yet).
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John B 11:00AM (10/31/2006)
Re: "so Pam Anderson of PETA fame will take a drive with him ."
No need for passenger side airbags then.
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rocketpunch 11:00AM (10/31/2006)
@#4
Do you know why that view looks good? It is a direct copy of the new GTR. Publicity stunts like this does nothing to the environment and the auto industry. So what is it for other that free advertising?
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Tiago do Vale 11:26AM (10/31/2006)
"Perhaps the most eye-catching and innovative design elements are the turbine-inspired, Alcoa-built wheels (20x10 front, 22x12 rear)"
It's so inovative that it was made a few months ago by SAAB in the Aero-X concept. That's a rip-off. The same goes to the wrap-around windshield.
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thndr 11:35AM (10/31/2006)
Is there anyone on any of these forums who remembers what it is like to just enjoy car guys and companies having a little fun? I have never seen so much bitching/negativity anywhere in my life. If it aint the sexiest/most perfect/jap built refrigerator on wheels then it must be crap! FCS lighten up! This thing is just a concept funded by a car enthusiast who just happens to have the bucks to make his ideas become reality. If I had Jay's checkbook I would be creating all kinds of kooky machines with my imagination. Maybe some of you should try to remember where you left yours.
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Claud 11:40AM (10/31/2006)
Well, I'm suitably impressed......both with it's powerplant/fuel type and it design.........Well done Jay!!
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ruggels 11:55AM (10/31/2006)
"If it aint the sexiest/most perfect/jap built refrigerator on wheels then it must be crap!"
erm not really, it's more like, if it's a ME-412 with a cadillac escalade front end then it's crap... it could very well be that everyone recognizes the car looks like sh!t and that everyone is equally curious why it has to look like sh!t given all the attractive cars out there, that's all. The ME-412 and Cien (to which this car's design bares more then a casual resemblance) are both 'attractive' cars, thus to see that design language executed with little or no regard to proportion or general attractiveness will elicit the response you're responding to. Jingoistic replies decrying a love for all things Japanese aren't required, it has nothing to do with euro/japan loving and everything to do with common design sense.
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Mike 12:03PM (10/31/2006)
Hmmmm, let see. First he wanted hydrogen fuel cell - not available. The next best choice was..........wait for it......bio-diesel!!!
Major bummer for all those over-hyped gasoline hybrids.
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thndr 12:20PM (10/31/2006)
"Jingoistic replies decrying a love for all things Japanese aren't required, it has nothing to do with euro/japan loving and everything to do with common design sense"
"it could very well be that everyone recognizes the car looks like sh!t and that everyone is equally curious why it has to look like sh!t given all the attractive cars out there, that's all."
Ok I went a little far with my "jingoistic" comment. But I am sick of all the negativity on these boards. Just like your comment saying that this car looks like "sh!t". Seems a little extreme to me. I get the feeling they were going for something a little "Hot-Wheelish" and weren't trying to design the next Muira or Testa Rossa. Maybe they are just having some sh!ts and giggles while letting some designers get crazy on Leno's tab. I'll bet most of you wouldn't turn down a ride in the thing.
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Tiago do Vale 12:29PM (10/31/2006)
12#
I guess you are a Jay Leno fan.
In my view, he has the cash, but he doesn't have the good taste: if you want to see how to do spend the same cash, but properly, check what Jim Glickenhaus did with his 1.5 million: the P4/5, by Pininfarina.
Now: I'm sure he had fun! And I don't blame him!
But you shouldn't ask ME to have fun with it... I don't agree with the turbine technology, the showing of an unfinished car, the lame ecological excuse, the cheap fiberglass, or the Z06 platform, but that's just what I think.
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John 1:18PM (10/31/2006)
12. Is there anyone on any of these forums who remembers what it is like to just enjoy car guys and companies having a little fun? I have never seen so much bitching/negativity anywhere in my life. If it aint the sexiest/most perfect/jap built refrigerator on wheels then it must be crap! FCS lighten up! This thing is just a concept funded by a car enthusiast who just happens to have the bucks to make his ideas become reality. If I had Jay's checkbook I would be creating all kinds of kooky machines with my imagination. Maybe some of you should try to remember where you left yours.
Posted at 11:33AM on Oct 31st 2006 by thndr 0 stars
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Autoblog USED to be read by enthusiasts, but it no longer is. It as been taken over by Consumer Reports readers whose only interest in cars comes from the status it brings and the approving glances their friends and neighbors bestow upon them for buying the "correct" brands of cars.
Autoblog is not a place for proper discussion of automotive technology. For REAL discussuions with REAL car fans, check out the forums at:
http://www.carspin.net/forums/
and
http://www.thecarlounge.com/
Both are alive and buzzing with serious discussions about all brands of cars, a close community and ample feedback from MATURE people of all ages all over the country that love cars for what they are.
So many displaced posers in here poisoning the waters for the truly passionate among us.
I wish they'd all just go find a fashion blog or something, since they're only interested in getting attention--not cars.
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Richard Warren 1:39PM (10/31/2006)
Jay is a real car guy,in fact he was a mechanic. He works on his own cars, he buys cars to save. How many of you can say that?
The "looks like" gets pretty old, you can make the case that anything "looks like" something else or that something else was "borrowed" from something else. Those of us who have a few miles on us have actually seen a lot of this many times before, perhaps even before many here were born. It all looks like something else.
The car has some pretty good ideas. Good job Jay and GM.
Love how some folks say GM should (insert choice here)then they do and you don't like that either.
If the car Jay and GM did here inspires one up and coming engineer and stylist to follow that path and come up with someting better, he did a great job.
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John 1:42PM (10/31/2006)
17. 12#
I guess you are a Jay Leno fan.
In my view, he has the cash, but he doesn't have the good taste: if you want to see how to do spend the same cash, but properly, check what Jim Glickenhaus did with his 1.5 million: the P4/5, by Pininfarina.
Now: I'm sure he had fun! And I don't blame him!
But you shouldn't ask ME to have fun with it... I don't agree with the turbine technology, the showing of an unfinished car, the lame ecological excuse, the cheap fiberglass, or the Z06 platform, but that's just what I think.
Posted at 12:29PM on Oct 31st 2006 by Tiago do Vale 0 stars
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There goes another fool!
PLEASE leave Autoblog for the car enthusiasts!
Do you even know the depth and breadth of Jay Leno's car collection?
All his cars are usable--and he uses them regularly. From steam engines to fabricated cars with bus engines. Jay Leno is a real car enthusiast.
He hires some of the best car mechanics and they're constantly looking at new and innovative products.
He even fabricates his own parts ON SITE for many of his ancient or one-off cars.
What does Glickenhaus do?
$4 million can buy ANYTHING. It is not a reliable indicator of taste.
You'll be lucky to ever see that car ever again (what with its $4 million price tag and all).
Besides, what are its performance numbers?
Secondly, if you don't know the difference between CARBON FIBER and FIBERGLASS, you're more of a joke than you appear to be.
What do you know about how "finished" or "unfinished" the car is?
Care to share your inside information with us?
Then there is your peculiar statement that you don't "agree with" the turbine technology.
Where should we start? Grammar? Or English comprehension?
That statement makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It makes about as much sense as:
"Gee! It's 8:00PM and I haven't written the cheesecake yet."
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