Photo: Bryan Reid
Looking at this man’s (let’s call it) car, you’d be excused for thinking he’s actually sitting in one of the props used for a future “The Flinstones Discover Electric Turbines” movie.
But he’s not. He’s proudly sitting at the wheel of the Cedar Rocket, a vehicle made almost entirely out of a single tree that’s just been recognized as the world’s “fastest motorized log” by the Guinness World Record organization. The fact that there was probably no other contestant for this prize might have helped.
The man behind this crazy idea is called Bryan Reid Sr. and he’s the president of Pioneer Log Homes. He’s the man you want to call if you’re thinking about building a log cabin, even though he might be a bit busy as he’s also hosting the Canadian edition of the “Timber Kings” TV show.
He first announced his creation back in October last year, but he never mentioned any land speed record breaking attempt at the time. The Cedar Rocket was created to be auctioned for charity, all revenues going to several organizations that help war veterans.
That plans still stands, but Bryan must have figured he might as well have a little fun before he parts ways with his dubious vehicle. Also, being a record holder can’t really damage its selling price, so he might have just increased the car’s value considerably. Until the next log on wheels comes along, at least.
Underneath what would have made a very nice dining room table is the frame of a Mazda RX-8. The Cedar Rocket is powered by two 20-horsepower electric turbines from Buffalo Turbine, but it also has an additional 35-horsepower direct drive motor. The total weight of the car is rated at about 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg), with the batteries accounting for almost a quarter of that.
During his run, the Rocket reached a not very impressive 90 km/h (about 56 mph) at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Arizona. Reid blames the short track, saying his car has a maximum potential speed of 225 km/h (140 mph), but it needs more than the quarter of a mile available on that venue to reach it.
According to Canadian media outlet Autofocus, the Cedar Rocket will now go on a tour around the continent, before going under the hammer at next year’s Barrett-Jackson car auction. Probably relying on the novelty factor and its recently gained record, Reid hopes the vehicle will sell for over $1 million, but since there isn’t much of a log car market out there, it’s really hard to tell if it’s the right price.
The man behind this crazy idea is called Bryan Reid Sr. and he’s the president of Pioneer Log Homes. He’s the man you want to call if you’re thinking about building a log cabin, even though he might be a bit busy as he’s also hosting the Canadian edition of the “Timber Kings” TV show.
He first announced his creation back in October last year, but he never mentioned any land speed record breaking attempt at the time. The Cedar Rocket was created to be auctioned for charity, all revenues going to several organizations that help war veterans.
That plans still stands, but Bryan must have figured he might as well have a little fun before he parts ways with his dubious vehicle. Also, being a record holder can’t really damage its selling price, so he might have just increased the car’s value considerably. Until the next log on wheels comes along, at least.
Underneath what would have made a very nice dining room table is the frame of a Mazda RX-8. The Cedar Rocket is powered by two 20-horsepower electric turbines from Buffalo Turbine, but it also has an additional 35-horsepower direct drive motor. The total weight of the car is rated at about 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg), with the batteries accounting for almost a quarter of that.
During his run, the Rocket reached a not very impressive 90 km/h (about 56 mph) at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Arizona. Reid blames the short track, saying his car has a maximum potential speed of 225 km/h (140 mph), but it needs more than the quarter of a mile available on that venue to reach it.
According to Canadian media outlet Autofocus, the Cedar Rocket will now go on a tour around the continent, before going under the hammer at next year’s Barrett-Jackson car auction. Probably relying on the novelty factor and its recently gained record, Reid hopes the vehicle will sell for over $1 million, but since there isn’t much of a log car market out there, it’s really hard to tell if it’s the right price.
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