Imagine a World War II Argus Pulsejet engine producing 800 lbs-ft (1,084 Nm) of torque that, instead of powering the world’s first cruise missile, is used to propel a car. Then, think that it’s capable of spitting six feet (1.8 meters) of fire out the tail pipe while keeping things as loud as a top fuel dragster. Record breaker? No, just a show car from hell that waits for a proper new owner.
This creation is made of pieces that each have their own story, so we’re going to have to take a good look at them to understand it better. Since we’re car people, we’ll start with the heart of this beast.
As we said, the vehicle is powered by something similar to a 1944 German Argus Pulsejet engine, a monster that was used for the world’s first cruise missile, the V-1, also known as the vengeance weapon. Imagine that the 5,500-pound (2,494 kg), 28-foot (8.5-meter) long rocket had a cruise speed of 400-500 mph (643 km/h to 804 km/h).
According to the beast’s current owner, this car has the same size engine, just that it’s better looking. That’s not the whole story though. “Due to the sleek aerodynamics, post-war land speed car builders started building vehicles from the shells of the long range drop tanks used on the fighter planes." These were called the "Drop Tank Lakester" and this is the only jet-powered Lakester in the world, apparently.
Other crazy features include a WWII P-38 Lighting fighter plane drop tank, and an aluminum custom hand-formed top. The steel roll cage that was also custom built keeps the car in one piece, while the Goodyear Front Runner rims make sure the car burns proper rubber. Again, with a 2 to 6 gallons of fuel per minute needed, the engine is what makes this car stand out.
The creators of this one-of-a-kind monster are Robert Maddox - the leading designer and builder of Pulsejet Engines powered vehicles, and Randy Grubb - one of the top car makers in the US. Even though the vehicle is capable of some mean drifting, they claim it was built as a “functioning work of art, not to set records.”
So if you are an art collector, you should know the Pulsejet Lakester show car is on sale on eBay with a current price of $36,000.
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