Yahoo Autos Watch a Turbine-Powered Chevy S-10 Do a Wicked Burnout
I have a thing for turbine cars. I wrote a book about them and even got to drive one owned by Jay Leno. When I was at his garage, I also saw his turbine powered motorcycle built by Marine Turbine Technologies. The Y2K turbine bike was recognized by the Guinness World Record folks as both the most expensive production bike in the world and the most powerful-320 horsepower and 425 lb.-ft. of torque were the stats that helped motivate the bike to 227 mph.
The good people at MTT are not the type who sit around waiting for things to happen. They have since upgraded the Y2K–hey, more power is always a good thing, right?–and they have also looked for other things to stick turbine engines into. Which brings us to the RetroROCKET: a Chevy S-10 with some throwback mods reminiscent of a 1940 Ford. While the outside evokes nostalgia, the powerplant is a Rolls Royce-Allison 250-C20B turbine creating 420 horsepower. This is not just a show car mockup: it has been driven several thousand miles so far to various auto events.
And wherever it goes, it causes a ruckus when it is fired up. Don't let those diesel stacks fool you. This thing sounds like a jet. But unlike the planes you fly around the country in, this jet engine powered vehicle can smoke the tires on takeoff.
Recently, my good friend Mark Lieberman of Nostalgic Motoring got a chance to visit MTT in Louisiana and was given a demonstration of the RetroROCKET. Because seeing is believing, watch the video Mark shot of the truck firing up-and then smoking the tires. Don't worry: That's Ted McIntyre at the wheel, so he knows what he's doing. And pay particular attention to the flames which occasionally shoot out of those exhaust stacks. The guys who "roll coal" have nothing on this.
Hey, if you have money burning holes in your pocket, be sure to check out Marine Turbo Technology. Along with the cool vehicles like this one and the Y2K bikes, you can look at the turbine-powered Mini. If you're like me, you've been wondering when someone would jam a monster turbine into one of those. Otherwise, just watch the video. No need to turn up the volume on your speakers. You'll hear the turbine's roar regardless.
Steve Lehto is a writer and attorney from Michigan. He specializes in Lemon Law and frequently writes about cars and the law. His most recent books include Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow, and Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird: Design, Development, Production and Competition. He also has a podcastwhere he talks about these things.
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