Smart Car With A Helicopter Engine? 2,000HP Jet Car

Ridiculous Rides

WITH a helicopter-sourced engine boasting 2,000 horsepower, Rocketbilly Racing brings you the world’s first jet-powered smart car. The ‘Jet Car’ is a standard 2008 model - with a fire-breathing turbo jet strapped to the back. Capable of reaching 220mph, the whacky creation boasts a high performance General Electric T58-GE03 gas turbine engine. Owner, Bill Berg, 44, has managed to keep the vehicle street-legal, and now, he loves nothing more than travelling the world showing off his latest prized asset.   Video Credits: Videographer / director: Will Campbell  Producer: Danny Baggott, James Thorne Editor: Thom Johnson

Transcript

00:01We bring jet-powered, high-octane-fueled entertainment to people all around the world.

00:11This is one of our creations and one of our insane rides.

00:15This is the world's fastest smart car.

00:30You can't take life too serious.

00:40And so what we do is we just find vehicles that aren't supposed to go fast.

00:45And just prove to people that immense thrust and horsepower can offset gravity and make you go fast.

00:56My name's Bill Berg. I own Rocket Billy Racing.

00:58So we throw jets on stuff to entertain people.

01:03We got the world's fastest jet ATVs.

01:05It's got the world's fastest school bus.

01:07So there's a theme there.

01:14So what we got is a 2008 smart car.

01:17It's powered by a three-cylinder, 60-horsepower engine.

01:21Just not enough for Rocket Billy Racing.

01:24And so we put a 2,000-horsepower T58 of a Huey helicopter.

01:29We're making a smart car go about 220 miles per hour.

01:32It'll do 160, 170 miles per hour in about nine seconds on a racetrack.

01:37One side is super economical.

01:39Other side probably not so much.

01:41Burning about 15 gallons in about five minutes.

01:43But they kind of balance, you know, each other out.

01:48You're sitting, I mean, literally shotgun next to you is a 2,000 horsepower fire-breathing after-burning turbojet.

01:57And, you know, it runs about 900 degrees Fahrenheit and spinning about 15,000 to 20,000 RPM.

02:03So you got a whole lot of movement and a whole lot of heat.

02:06I'm pretty proud of the tag, the license plate.

02:09I got a jet car, but it is absolutely street legal, insured.

02:14I get a lot of questions on, you know, is it legal to have a jet engine in a vehicle?

02:21Well, I hadn't got pulled over yet.

02:24Right, and to be street legal, of course, you have to have, you know, headlights.

02:33And, you know, how many 300 mile per hour race cars do you know have functioning windshield wipers?

02:42Everything works on those hot days.

02:44And I'll tell you this, it does get hot.

02:46And so it has a factory AC in it.

02:49The three-cylinder Mercedes runs independently of the jet.

02:55Starting in the front, that's going to be your air intake.

02:58From this point on here, this is your afterburner.

03:00You know, 1,200 to 1,400 pounds of thrust.

03:03You can almost double that with the addition of an afterburner.

03:10So we travel the world, but there's no place like home.

03:13And Colorado has a lot to offer.

03:16It just makes a, you know, a perfect backdrop to have a good time and to fire up the smart car.

03:26This is the Telluride Festival of Cars and Colors.

03:28It's an automotive, aviation, and motorcycle event.

03:31And it's in its fourth year.

03:33We've got everything from the early Model Ts up onto the Pagani Spider.

03:38We've got the best cars in the world and everything in between.

03:41Having the rocket car here is one of the greatest things I could ever imagine for this event in such an infancy.

03:48Because you don't get these kind of cars at local car shows.

03:51It's a, uh, it's the ultimate toy, right?

03:57It's a jet-powered smart car.

03:59And so, uh, it's just, it's one of those, it's one of those toys that, uh, you know, I think everybody, everyone wants to play with.

04:06Thunder.

04:07Thunder.

04:08Thunder jet quad.

04:09200 mile per hour.

04:10Thanks.

04:11Step right there.

04:12Is there if I touch him?

04:13Billy Berg.

04:14Bill's a different man.

04:15I never have known anybody crazy enough to drive something like that.

04:21The smart car has a, uh, a pretty interesting following in itself.

04:31I mean, there's some loyal, die-hard smart car fanatics.

04:34And I love them all.

04:36We'll make the, uh, the occasional grocery stop and, uh, you know, get the, get the neighbors pointing and, you know, and laughing.

04:42But that's, that's one of my favorite things.

04:55I'm pretty fortunate, uh, you know, people dig what we do.

04:58In fact, my, my, my girlfriend, you know, she's a jet driver herself.

05:03Yeah, I got, I got good support behind me.

05:06Battery ignition, check.

05:07Afterburner, check.

05:08Fuel pump, check.

05:12What?

05:1310.

05:142.

05:15Toastill.

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05:22Let's go.

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05:41anything's for sale right the price is right uh yeah you know if uh if you'd like to buy a smart

05:52car we can talk i take that back smart car is not for sale because uh yeah my my wife would

06:00probably kill me

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