Autoblog

Paul Stender returns with cruise missile-powered Impala [UPDATE]

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Videos, Humor

It was the urban legend to top them all, the one every car guy wants to be true: Dude straps a jet engine to his Impala and goes for the ride of his life, which, of course, ends with his death.

Even though it dates back to the 1960's, according to rumor-debunking website Snopes.com, it was the first big Internet-fueled urban legend, spread across the world in 1995 by then-novel e-mails with subjects like "Darwin Award Winner."

Of course, there's no such thing as the Darwin Awards. But now, finally, there is a JATO-powered Impala. The genius of race car driver Paul Stender, he of jet-powered port-o-potty and 350-mph school bus fame, this '67 Impala was conceived with the best intentions: Make the legend come true. And yes, we know the subject was covered in the very first pilot episode of Mythbusters, but they didn't use the right rocket, did they?

Click past the jump to see video of the rocket-powered beater Chevy.

UPDATE: The YouTube video has been removed at the request of Paul Stender, who claimed it was in violation of his copyright.

Paul Stender returns with cruise missile-powered Impala [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA tests fighter-jet canopy for use in Formula 1

Noah Joseph — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Technology, Videos

F1 cars keep getting safer every year. Their carbon-fiber tubs have been strengthened to the point that they're nearly indestructible. Helmets and the HANS neck supports they're attached keep improving. Despite all this, there's still one principal weak point inherent to the design of a grand prix racer: the open cockpit.

If you've ever sat back and wondered why F1 cars stick with open-cockpit designs when drivers are injured - or narrowly escape injury - by airborne cars (or parts thereof) striking their helmets, you're not alone.

The FIA Institute is testing designs to potentially outfit future F1 racers with closed cockpits. The question is, what kind? Many Le Mans prototypes (like the Audi R18 and Peugeot 908) use curved polycarbonate windshields, but in its research, the FIA Institute also looked to fighter jets for their canopy designs. Follow the jump to see what they discovered.

Continue reading FIA tests fighter-jet canopy for use in Formula 1

FIA tests fighter-jet canopy for use in Formula 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HondaJet tops out at 489 mph, nears sale date

Aaron Richardson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Honda

2012 HondaJet - Click above for high-res image gallery

The first FAA-conforming HondaJet managed a top speed of 489 miles per hour at 30,000 feet on March 11. That mark surpasses Honda's original goal for the jet, and gets it one step closer to production. The flight tests are still in their early stages, so it will be a while yet before the light business jet is available for purchase by well-to-do consumers.

Honda says the jet managed those performance numbers thanks to an extra-slippery shape and a unique over-the-wing placement of the plane's engines. Honda Aircraft Company is conducting its flight tests of the HondaJet at its corporate headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. Feel free to read more about it in the press release after the break.

Gallery: 2012 HondaJet

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading HondaJet tops out at 489 mph, nears sale date

HondaJet tops out at 489 mph, nears sale date originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: SPEED pits minivan versus pickup in jet engine warfare

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Videos, Chevrolet, Dodge, Specialty

Jet-powered Dodge Caravan - Click above to watch video after the jump

There are two ways to do jet-powered vehicles. On one hand, you have the deliciously simple and effective method of strapping a used jet engine to a car or truck, and letting the thrust do the rest.

On the other, slightly more complicated side, you can attach a turbine to a shaft drive, translating the thrust to the rear wheels via a differential. Both are viable, albeit expensive, ways of adding jet propulsion to your car. But which is faster?

SPEED took it upon itself to find out, pitting a thrust-powered Chevrolet S-10 against a shaft-driven Dodge Caravan. The Caravan uses a helicopter engine hooked to its rear wheels in conjunction with its standard gas engine up front. The truck relies solely on good, old-fashioned thrust. Click past the jump to see who's faster over an eighth-mile drag strip.

[Source: Streetfire]

Continue reading Video: SPEED pits minivan versus pickup in jet engine warfare

Video: SPEED pits minivan versus pickup in jet engine warfare originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mini Cooper S gets some jet-propelled junk in the trunk

Aaron Richardson — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Mini, Specialty

Mini Cooper S Turbine - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Every once in a while, a car comes along that really gives us pause. This is one of those times. On the one hand, a jet-powered anything is cool. On the other, this is a Mini Cooper S that utlizes its original, turbocharged inline-four and an old Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-C20B helicopter turbine to make a combined 650 horsepower that can't dust a GT-R on the drag strip. It seems a little... anti-climactic.

Still, we must tip our hat to the Floridian hoon who ordered up this beastly Mini Cooper S from BMP Design out of Tyler, Texas. His heart is in the right place, and he's sure to surprise anyone he lines up next to.

We're especially fond of the custom-made roof, which is designed to let the turbines burp their fiery exhaust without roasting the fool sitting behind you in traffic. The throttle for the twin jets, which require their own separate fuel tank, is a handle next to the driver's seat - a feature lifted directly from the chopper the engines were born in.

Regardless of our misgivings about the Mini this jet-propelled bomb is based on, hoonage on this level deserves some serious credit. Check out the videos after the break, and try not to mind the lame soundtrack.

[Source: YouTube via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Video: Mini Cooper S gets some jet-propelled junk in the trunk

Video: Mini Cooper S gets some jet-propelled junk in the trunk originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grounded: HondaJet delayed again due to component delays

Zach Bowman — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Honda

Honda may still be dreaming the impossible dream, but it's not helping the company's new HondaJet get off the ground. According to Automotive News, the world won't be seeing the aircraft until 2012. Once upon a time, the Japanese company had planned to take to the skies as soon as this year, but two rounds of delays have pushed that date back by a heady 24 months. The site doesn't say exactly what caused the setback other than a few component issues.

The HondaJet carries an MSRP of $3.9 million and is slated for production in Greensboro, North Carolina. That is, so long as the company can get its ducks in a row.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Grounded: HondaJet delayed again due to component delays originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 May 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: F1 turbine engine proposal being analyzed by FIA?

Noah Joseph — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:07:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Think F1 racers are more like fighter jets than cars? You're not far off. Both F1 cars and jets are made primarily of lightweight composites, travel at ludicrous speeds, generate unfathomable Gs of force, have single-seat cockpits, cost millions of dollars, and are developed (and operated) by more engineers than a train yard full of locomotives. And the similarities could be getting even closer if the latest reports are anything to go by.

After recently reporting on a potential shift to small-displacement turbocharged engines in the sport, Pitpass.com says that a proposal on allowing the use of gas turbine engines is now being looked at by the FIA. The proposal was reportedly submitted by Project 1221, which says it could supply teams with race-ready turbines as soon as 2013 if the FIA were to give it the nod. F1 fanatics may recall that Lotus toyed with turbine power back in the 1970s, but never scored a better finish than eighth place at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix before giving up on the project.

The incorporation of turbines would bring several benefits while requiring significant re-adjustments to the current formula. Although turbines use more fuel, they require far less maintenance than a conventional internal-combustion engine - especially the highly-stressed units made for F1. Turbines can run on biofuels, allowing F1 to take a step forward as a "green" leader in motorsports. Since turbines cannot, however, be used as a stressed member of a car's chassis construction - another innovation pioneered, somewhat ironically, by Lotus - teams employing turbine power would have to switch to a space frame chassis design. Any drawbacks would be offset by the turbine's smaller form.

Though many teams - complete-package constructors like Ferrari especially - would be hesitant to adopt turbine propulsion, one could easily imagine independents like Red Bull (to say nothing of the reborn Lotus team) jumping at the opportunity. A level playing field would have to be established through equalization regulations with conventional engines, but the people behind Project 1221 say that limiting their turbines' output would be relatively straightforward, opening the door to multiple engine types in the series. That's if this idea ever moves anywhere beyond the proposal stage -- a pretty big "if" at that.

[Source: Pitpass]

Report: F1 turbine engine proposal being analyzed by FIA? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Someone at Boeing wants Mulally back?

Zach Bowman — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Earnings/Financials

A new website has cropped up to attempt to lure Ford CEO Alan Mulally back to Seattle. Evidently someone at Boeing is missing the guy's ability to steer a company in the right direction. The recently launched site features a short list of Mulally's achievements since he's taken the tiller at FoMoCo, all spread out on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner background.

We can imagine more than a few souls at the aircraft manufacturer are pining for the good old days. Boeing has seen delay after delay in the launch of its carbon-fiber Dreamliner leviathan, while Ford continues to make its cousins in Detroit look bad. The Blue Oval posted a $2.7 billion net profit last year, snapping the company out of a downward trend three-years in the making. While Mulally certainly didn't carry the company on his own, it's clear he has made some smart decisions during his time at the helm, and now he's become the poster child for Ford's recent successes.

According to Automotive News, BringAlanBack.com isn't associated with either Ford or Boeing, and no one is saying who owns the site at the moment.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Someone at Boeing wants Mulally back? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Work, Misc. Auto Shows, Police/Emergency, Military, Specialty

7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo - Click above for our huge image gallery

This past Sunday was the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California, and after our experience there last year, we just had to go back for more. As you might guess from the title, this is more than just another hot rod gathering. Attendees get a chance to see mega horsepower air transport as well as earthbound movers and shakers. Even better, folks can actually get up close and personal with military vehicles, airplanes, jets and helicopters too. It's like an open house for the military, with a few hundred muscle cars thrown in for good measure. Hot rodders (and bikers) tend to be a fairly patriotic bunch, so the combination is a perfect match. Make the jump for our report from the ground.

Gallery: 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo

Continue reading Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show

Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flight of Fancy: Ferrari takes to the sky

Noah Joseph — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Ferrari

Like their competitors, Ferrari uses advanced aerodynamics to keep their cars on the ground. But what if they flipped their technology upside down to create an aircraft? The result could very well be this, the Piaggio P180 Avanti II.

Beyond the usual correlation between the automotive and aeronautical industries - especially evident in six-figure sportscars and in formula motor racing - the ties between Piaggio Aero and Ferrari run far deeper. Piaggio, which sponsors the Scuderia, is chaired by Enzo's heir and company vice-chairman Piero Ferrari. The aircraft pictured is the one Ferrari uses to shuttle their executives and star drivers around Europe, if not the world, to unveil new cars, win grands prix and cut ribbons on everything from theme parks to retail stores. Interestingly, instead of jet propulsion, the Avanti II uses backwards-mounted turboprops. With a 450 mph top speed, it's the fastest turboprop in the world. It has a 1,800-mile range and 41,000-ft maximum cruising altitude but uses 30% less fuel than a comparable jet.

Of course this isn't the first time the prancing horse has appeared on an aircraft. The logo, legend has it, was emblazoned on the plane of Italian WWI flying ace Count Francesco Baracca, whose mother presented it to Enzo Ferrari after reportedly being impressed by his driving style while racing towards the checkered flag at the Salvio circuit in 1923. Whether the legend is true or not, the plane makes a more suitable canvas for the Ferrari logo than a Segway scooter.

[Source: Piaggio Aero via Luxurylaunches.com]

Flight of Fancy: Ferrari takes to the sky originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Bonfire building made easy with jet-powered car

Dan Roth — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Lifestyle

As a former Boy Scout, I learned a variety of creative ways to set things alight, usually involving some type of accelerant. These guys have dreamt up a way that even pyromaniac 12 year olds can't top. We're guessing that thet don't worry about rain soaking their matches -- they just wheel out the Pratt & Whitney and give a couple squeezes on the afterburner. It's an awful lot of effort to burn a pile of sticks, and if you're not careful, you could blow a semi-lit mass of twigs clear to the next block. I love the way they stand there admiring their work, drinking beer at the very end of the video. Does it get any finer than that?

Check the jump to see the video

[Source: Break.com]

Continue reading VIDEO: Bonfire building made easy with jet-powered car

VIDEO: Bonfire building made easy with jet-powered car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alan Mulally making friends fast, receives a raise

Dan Roth — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Ford, Earnings/Financials

Alan Mulally went to Ford to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and now he'll be able to afford more Hubba Bubba. It's really a stock option bump -- from $5 to $6 million -- as a reward for taking FoMoCo by its earlobes and attempting to drag it out of the mire it's stuck in. We have seen more focus out of Dearborn as Mulally rallies the troops, and the compensation is recognition that the good fight is being waged. Intent on keeping its four-star general focused, the board has also allowed Mulally's immediate family and guests access to Ford aircraft for personal use, even without the presence of the CEO. While it may seem egregious - it makes sense. Rather than chaperone people around, Mulally's time is better spent running Ford. Also, since his family hasn't completed a relocation from Seattle, it allows them to get together with a less heroic effort. Even CEOs want to see their spouses and children, so while there are hefty expenses associated with flying the corporate jets around, a distracted, ineffective CEO is far more costly.

[Source: autonews - Sub Req'd]

Alan Mulally making friends fast, receives a raise originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Fields under fire for expensive flights home

Scott Davis — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials

Steve Wilson, a reporter for WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit, has taken the President of the Americas for Ford Motor Company, Mark Fields, to task for the weekly flights the executive takes from Detroit to his home in Delray Beach, Florida. Fields uses a company jet for the flights, which itself isn't the issue since the trips are approved by his employment contract. Wilson, however, estimates that each weekly trip costs between $50,000 and $70,000, essentially an entire year's salary for many who work at Ford. Those high figures include the cost of flying one passenger with a crew of three, and either putting the crew up in a luxury hotel for the weekend or having the jet return to Detroit and fly back to fetch Fields before Monday.

Fields has been quoted as saying, "We are making sacrifices at every level." The person who hired Fields, ex-CEO Bill Ford Jr., surely made sacrifices. The great-grandson of Henry Ford announced he would forego any and all compensation back in May of 2005 until his family's company begins turning a profit again. Of course, Mark Fields is not a member of the Ford family and no expects him to forego a salary, which last year reportedly amounted to $3 million including a $1 million bonus. Wilson, however, clearly sees the hypocrisy of an executive asking his workforce to sacrifice their wages, health care and even their jobs while he drains the company of funds he could cleary afford to cover himself.

The weekly trips home on the company jet are seen by Ford as an incentive to attract and retain talent the automaker sorely needs to turn its fortunes around. Hopefully Mark Fields is the man for that job, and if he succeeds we won't say a word every time he boards the Blue Oval jet. But at this moment when Ford is struggling to remain solvent, even if the overall impact is minimal, the gesture of foregoing some of those expensive perks goes a long way.

Thanks to Joe for the tip!

[Source: WXYZ.com]

Mark Fields under fire for expensive flights home originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Porsche vs. Bike vs. Jet

Noah Joseph — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe, Porsche

So very pointless, but so much fun!

If you thought the race between the Porsche, the Champ Car and the Mini was a strange match, you've got to check out this video showing a race between a Porsche, a motorbike and a jet fighter. The race takes place on a runway in Serbia, of all places.

The bike starts quickest off the line, but the jet quickly passes it once the turbines spool up, before drag gets the better of the two-wheeler with the Porsche passing as well. Now that's some good racin'!

[Source: transportTrends]

VIDEO: Porsche vs. Bike vs. Jet originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear fights for survival as BBC postpones show indefinitely

Noah Joseph — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:04:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

As Top Gear host Richard Hammond recovers from his 300-mph crash, the show's future remains in limbo. The crash occurred while filming a segment for the upcoming series, but with Hammond still in hospital with the full scope of his injuries still unknown, the new season is being postponed indefinitely.

That doesn't mean it's being cancelled. Not yet, at least. The BBC is simply putting it off until Richard's back to his usual smiling self and the team can together decide how to proceed. A strong indication came from co-host Jeremy Clarkson, who boldly declared, "Next week I intend to be down on the track driving faster than ever", and from the show's producer Andy Wilman, who said he'll quit if they have any restrictions placed on the show.

With simultaneous investigations underway by the police and highway safety departments, and a mounting campaign to take the show off the air (or at least curtail the extent of their high-speed shenanigans), the Top Gear team is fighting hard to keep the show, and keep its integrity.

Do you think Top Gear should continue its unrelenting quest for the best in automotive adventures, or have they gone one rev too far? Leave your opinion in our comments section.

Giving in the name of Richard Hammond

Top Gear's "Hamster" in stable but serious condition day after crash

UPDATE: Details on Richard Hammond crash

Top Gear's Richard Hammond in critical condition

[Source: Reuters]

Top Gear fights for survival as BBC postpones show indefinitely originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hammond Update: "Was I driving like a tw*t?"

Noah Joseph — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:08:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Here at Autoblog we've been inundated with comments and news updates from well-wishers praying for Richard Hammond's full and speedy recovery following his shocking 300-mph crash this past Wednesday. And so we're pleased to report that the Hamster's condition is improving dramatically.

According to Hammond's Top Gear co-star Jeremy Clarkson, little more than a day after the crash, Richard spontaneously sat up in his hospital bed, asked what happened, joked around a bit, then got out of bed and walked to the washroom.

Of course these may seem like fairly ordinary functions, but not when you consider that Hammond was subjected to as much as 100g's of force as his jet-powered car rolled and left him unconscious and buried head-first in the dirt, initially classified in critical condition.

The crash was apparently caused by a burst tire. Follow the link to Clarkson's article in The Sun for a riveting account of the day of the crash, the events that lead to it, Hammond's miraculous progress on the road to full recovery, and the battle that lay ahead to keep Top Gear on the air.

Related posts:

Hammond Update: "Was I driving like a tw*t?" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear's Richard Hammond in critical condition

Noah Joseph — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 16:55:00 EST

It's been a shocking day in the world of automotive journalism as we receive the terribly upsetting news that BBC Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond lies in a Leeds hospital in critical condition. Hammond was airlifted to the hospital following a terrifying crash at the wheel of a jet-powered car while filming a segment for the popular British car program.

The news comes on the heels of another terrible crash involving fellow automotive journalist Paul Frère.

No further news is known at this time regarding the extent or nature of the beloved 36-year-old television personality's injuries or what exactly went wrong.

We'd like to express our appreciation to all our readers who sent us the sad news.

We're all pulling for you, Hamster.

[Source: BBC News]

Top Gear's Richard Hammond in critical condition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab sponsors Reno air show

Noah Joseph — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 18:34:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, GM, Saab

Nurturing (or exploiting) its aerospace roots, Saab is sponsoring the Reno National Championship Air Races currently underway in the Nevada desert as part of its "Born from Jets" marketing campaign.

The air show features the Thurderbirds (the US Air Force aerobatics squad) along with the Saab Performance Driving Team in from Sweden who will be demonstrating the 9-3 Aero V6 Turbo sport sedan on the runway during the show. Saab will also be on site with a unique trailer that sets up as an aircraft hangar-like exhibit featuring interactive displays of Saab's line-up.

Saab was founded in 1937 as Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company Limited) and branched into cars ten years later. Today the automotive division is owned by GM, while the aircraft company is owned separately. Fortunately you don't need a pilot's license to drive a Saab, or the local country club parking lot would look more like the set of Top Gun.

[Source: GM]

Saab sponsors Reno air show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Sep 2006 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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