tech e blog

03/02/2006

Street Legal Jet Powered VW Beetle

What can you do with a GE Model T58-8F helicopter turboshaft engine, converted to jet? With Ron Patrick's custom VW Beetle you can have lots and lots of dangerous fun exploiting all 1350 horsepower. This monster is powered by two engines (original up front, jet in back) and is perfectly street legal since you're only using the gasoline powered engine in normal driving conditions. But if you're feeling adventurous, fire up the jet engine - which spins up to 26,000 rpm/13,000 rpm idle - and watch the afterburner come to life. More after the jump.

"The car was built because I wanted the wildest street-legal ride possible. With this project, I was able to use my engineering skills (I have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University) to design the car without the distraction of how other people have done it in the past - because no one has."
[jet_beetle]

This entry was posted on 03/02/2006 02:43am and is filed under Auto .
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There are 1656 comments about this post (67 pages).

1
Posted at 03/02/2006 02:56am by Ali
First Coment ! That's AWSOME. Too bad you can't beat Ferrari's with the jet engine on the highways.
2
Posted at 03/02/2006 03:14am by Keith
H.O.L.Y. S.H.I.T. that is fucking cool. I would brag about my ride all the time if I had that.
3
Posted at 03/02/2006 03:30am by Corran Horn
Yes it's fast, but how does it handle?
4
Posted at 03/02/2006 04:42am by Fosnez
You've just been . I've wanted to do that with two smaller jets on my car forever..
5
Posted at 03/02/2006 07:25am by K SO
shouldnt he have chosen a better car?
6
Posted at 03/02/2006 08:22am by Case
How can a car with an enourmous flame coming out of the back possibly be streetlegal? You're having us on.
7
Posted at 03/02/2006 12:46pm by me
Not street legal since you'd incinerate anything (or anybody) behind you
8
Posted at 03/02/2006 12:58pm by CeeZee
Seems a little silly to me... the air intake is right behind the drivers/passengers seat... it would be unbearably loud... and you lose the use of the 2 back seats.. which we all know is very important in any coupe. I would have atleast liked to have seen an attempt at ducting out the sun roof or side windows.. or something...
9
Posted at 03/02/2006 1:04pm by Kevin
Great googly-moogly! One bad ass engineering feat! VW Representing Deutschland
10
Posted at 03/02/2006 1:37pm by Arthur Taylor
Fantastic example of Recycling. When they say reuse I don't think they meant this but WOW!!
11
Posted at 03/02/2006 2:38pm by Name
Gayest. Thing. 3V4R!!! I don't care if it does 0-400 in 5 seconds, that's the most worthless waste of cash I've seen in my life.
12
Posted at 03/02/2006 4:08pm by GTIZI
Give this guy a break! Can any of you accomplish something of this Nature? NO! Car is awsome bro. give us more details.
13
Posted at 03/02/2006 4:51pm by Ed K.
Looks like a big phalic symbol sticking out the back end.
14
Posted at 03/02/2006 4:54pm by cbljkkj
How in the world can this car be street legal???
15
Posted at 03/02/2006 4:59pm by eric
this guy buids a jet powered beattle and somone has the audacity the critique his air-flow tactics?! i say submit your functional model w/ improvements, then you can talk.
16
Posted at 03/02/2006 5:16pm by Name
Just because some guy braggin about his PhD is the first to strap a jet engine in a Beetle, I'm supposed to be impressed? If this is the best engineering feat that all those mad skillz can come up with, then I say what a waste of a Standford education... I hope it blows up w/Mr. Riceboy PhD behind the wheel :-) FLOWER POWER!
17
Posted at 03/02/2006 5:42pm by A.J.
This car would be great for tailgate parties.
18
Posted at 03/02/2006 6:11pm by E
Hah, that is awesome! and this guy ^^^ doesn't know what he's talking about. Glad to see it on a vdub too! Also, regarding air flow, i would imagine that the moonroof serves just fine for air inlet, think of any boosted motor enclosed in an engine bay just for a vague comparison. Honestly though, this is awesome- how is the cabin noise? Does most of the sound stay behind the actual turbines or what?
19
Posted at 03/02/2006 7:42pm by Daniel
chrysler did this in '54, and monster garage did this too, but not with a bug. same principles though.
20
Posted at 03/02/2006 7:56pm by rta
it prob gets pretty bad gas milage... :P
21
Posted at 03/02/2006 8:22pm by Markomatic
No, it's not street legal as-is, but all it needs is a little red flag on the end of the nozzle and it'll be fine (like you put on those 2x4s hanging out the back of your pickup) . Buy them in bulk.
22
Posted at 03/02/2006 8:37pm by hammer
Dude, car is kick ass........but i have to ask...how much would that cost to fill'er up??
23
Posted at 03/02/2006 11:38pm by a few things at the shaky kaiser
[...] Jet powered VW Beetle. [...]
24
Posted at 03/03/2006 01:13am by DaNerd
This is awesome. I want one. How much do you want for it. Have you tested it on the 1/4 mile???
25
Posted at 03/03/2006 01:44am by The Simple Truth
All you negative morons are just jealous that you're not smart enough or even worthy enough to do this. So take you stupid ass someplace else.. oh, don't 4get to take that large that's jammed up there with you either... Anyways, it might be a beetle, but still, It's done, It works, It exists, so cool.
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