Jay Leno's EcoJet Supercar

After some time ago we have featured the article about Trident Iceni, an UK's biodiesel fueled supercar. So on this occasion will be discussed a supercar that also uses biodiesel power and has been launched on 2006.

Jay Leno is famous for his fantastic collection of automotive (approximately 84 cars and 73 motorcycles have filled out his collection). All collections were parked in the Big Dog Garage, thus the name for his garage. And as a collector, he was not satisfied if it does not have his own work.

Jay’s sleek EcoJet turbine supercar was inspired by the 2002 Cadillac Cien show car, as well as by GM’s 1950s Firebird jet cars designed by legend Harley Earl. (Picture from: http://www.agentauto.com/)

Biodiesel supercar was introduced in the exhibition Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) 2006. Someting special about this car, it is designed by General Motors along with Jay Leno, an American presenter. He was not alone, with Ed Welburn, GM's vice president of Global Design, then formed a GMC Ecojet Turbine-Powered concept car.

Electronics International created the instrument display (above). It's a "glass cockpit" adapted from turbine-powered aircraft for street use. Microsoft and Azentek engineered the nav and audio systems so that Jay can use the Internet as well as send and receive e-mails from the EcoJet's front seat-when the car is parked, of course. (Picture from: http://www.popularmechanics.com/)

The idea of ​​Ecojet making emerged from the discussion between Leno, Steve Anderson and Frank Saucedo from General Motors' Advanced Design Studios. And which acts as a rectifier, design corrector is Ed Welburn.

Front view of Jay Leno's Turbine-Powered EcoJet Concept. (Picture from: http://www.cartype.com/)

After they made a few design sketches and approved by Welburn, and for two weeks after the General Motors designers were working overtime with the Jay Leno's team. Ecojet inspired owned aircraft jet engines are coupled with the Cadillac's strength, durability, and safety as well as aesthetic design.

So it is not surprising that the car is similar to Cadillac CIEN concept car. The car designing that combines of the fighter jet and Formula-1 cars designs, made by Big Dog team under the watchful eye of Leno and Welburn. As for the engine turned over to Bernard Juchli, head mechanic in charge of his collection.

Rear right side view of Jay Leno's Turbine-Powered EcoJet Concept. (Picture from: http://www.cartype.com/)

This car uses a very complex Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine which are commonly used on the Bell 222 and U.S. Coast Guard Dolphin helicopters, the engine can spit out 650 hp power and torque of 583 lb-ft and combined with four-speed automatic transaxle that was adapted from a C5 Corvette, the car could theoretically top 394 kph (245 mph).

The EcoJet has two fuel tanks, one for the biodiesel, and another for JP-4 jet fuel. The JP-4 is used only for starting the turbine engine, and the car then switches over to bio-diesel. In fact, not only can the car burn bio-diesel, but it can run just about on any type of burning liquid.

The car also constructed the carbon-fiber-over-Kevlar body and its engine sits in a modified Corvette Z06 hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components. The supercar also used as many GM components as we could, like the Brembo carbon-fiber brakes—the same ones used in the Corvette ZR1. The suspension arms come from a Z06 C6 Corvette, as do the heavily modified frame rails.

In keeping with this car’s environmentally friendly theme, it didn’t use any animal-sourced products. Instead, the interior is crafted from materials that can be recycled, like Alcantara, a man-made suede.

The entire car is controlled by a computer using Microsoft and Azentek. The computer monitors the systems required to keep the turbine engine running constantly, as well as providing music and digital gauges via touchscreen or speech recognition control. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | JAY LENO'S GARAGE | AUTOBLOG]

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