VIDEO: 3,000 HP Greasel falls flat on record run
This 3,000-horsepower peanut oil-powered pickup was supposed to make a record speed run for grease-powered vehicles of between 160 and 200 mph. That was what we were told at SEMA where the twin-turbo '87 Chevy Silverado, nicknamed Greasel, was unveiled. The truck made its record run at the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed in California over the weekend and the results were less than impressive. On its first attempt, Greasel and its driver reached a face-melting speed of 82 mph (Please, sense the sarcasm). On subsequent runs the press release reveals it reached a top speed of "Almost 100 miles per hour!" Whoa there, PR people. I personally know at least three people who have WVO Jettas that can break triple digits on surfaces other than compacted salt. But it seems that since the Sourthern California Timing Association was on hand to officially record the runs, the Greasel goes down as the fastest grease-powered vehicle on earth. Clearly something went wrong, as were told the initial runs would be at least be above 160 mph, with subsequent tinkering hopefully pushing the Greasel past 200 mph, even potentially reaching 240 mph. The only press release we could find, however, seems written by a uneducated PR lacky who isn't aware that 3,000 horsepower and a top speed of "Almost 100 miles per hour!" don't belong in the same sentence together.
[Source: Marketwire]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rico 2:08PM (11/13/2006)
i realize that the '87 silverado is heralded for it's aerodynamics, lightweight construction and sportiness, but if i was going for a speed record, it probably wouldn't be my first choice.
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felonious monk 2:25PM (11/13/2006)
It has the aerodynamic properties of a brick. What did you expect?
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M. 2:27PM (11/13/2006)
And I would first run the machine on a dyno... I just can't believe that you easily get 300hp/l out of an old two stroke diesel that started with 30hp/l -- no matter how big the chargers are that you attach...
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ruggels 2:58PM (11/13/2006)
man would someone just take an A8 TDI out there converted to peanut oil so we can see some decent times.
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Larry 3:08PM (11/13/2006)
Oh wait, I think I got it - they are setting a land speed record for 100 years ago. Now it makes sense - the future (3000 hp) meets the past (almost 100 mph).
James
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chuck goolsbee 5:04PM (11/13/2006)
heh... I broke that record this morning in my VW Jetta. Mind you I'm running on CANOLA oil, so perhaps that disqualifies me.
--chuck
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apt34 4:40PM (11/13/2006)
James, so what you are suggesting is that it went so fast that it went back in time, and that all we saw was when it slowed down again from its slowdown when it was coming out of the past and into the present?
:D
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rocketpunch 5:07PM (11/13/2006)
3000hp with a top speed of 82mph!? Are you sure they didn't use 3000
actual horses and feed them with penuts?
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Vincent 5:14PM (11/13/2006)
Inside the car you car hear that peanut butter baking (or that sound is very alike)... Yumm yumm :D
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MikeW 5:44PM (11/13/2006)
It would have gone faster if that F-350 kept on pushing it.
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Fabulo 7:39PM (11/13/2006)
That video was pretty lame.
Also, yes, something went wrong. How about digging a little bit to know what went wrong? And interview maybe? No, just a lame video and a lame post. Boohoo.
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Armand 11:35PM (11/13/2006)
even more lame:
I broke that record this morning with my mercedes benz 1983 240D. 72 hp of pure unadulterated power!!!!
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far jr 6:48PM (11/14/2006)
Maybe all the grease clogged it's arteries...err umm I mean fuel lines.
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Teach 3:33PM (11/20/2006)
What's interesting is that they actually invited the media and probrably blew the media blitz sky high to demonstrate the YAHOO demon.
What's sad, is that there more than likely was one guy in the board room who got his way, saying "No man, no need to go test before the record attempt, we running Planter's Race Fuel, people - get real - what can go wrong? Just tell the PR department that it's say, 3000hp, and let them run with it..."
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