We recently told you about the only jet-engine Corvette on the planet, so we thought it only fitting that we bring you some footage of the thing taking some laps on a racetrack. Justin Hyde from Yahoo Autos gets some seat time in this rare turbine Vette.
The Jet Vette was the brainchild of Vince Granatelli, son of renown racer and STP pitchman Andy Granatelli. It used a left over Pratt and Whitney jet engine left over from the Granatelli/Chapman built, jet race car that almost won the Indy 500 before being banned.
The C3 Vette was chosen because it’s long curvy hood could accommodate the length of the Turbine engine. Look closely and you’ll see the flip up headlights are gone and the leading edge of the hood almost meets the front bumper.
The car has a very specific sequence to start. It howls and whines like a jet and idles at 6,500 rpm before reaching 65,000 rpm at full throttle. The high RPM idle translates to 65 mph, so you’re riding the binders at any speed under that. This thing must go through brakes like crazy.
With 880 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque, it runs 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds making it quite fast, even by today’s standards. The heat and complexity of the engine make the claim that it’s street legal and plausible but unrealistic. On the racetrack it has room to move and looks and sounds ferocious laying down laps.
Nevertheless, it went on the block at Barrett-Jackson but alas, no one bid high enough for it, and this beauty remains available.