Bill Berg from Telluride, Colorado loves to entertain people, but he also loves to show the world that not all is what it looks like. A 2008 smart, for instance, can also hit impressive speeds, if offered that extra nudge.
Berg is a mechanic and he owns a garage that specializes in car restorations and mods, Rocketbilly Racing. His latest hobby includes strapping jet engines on vehicles that aren’t supposed to go fast, as he says in a new interview with Barcroft Media. You will find it at the bottom of the page as well.
He already boasts the world’s first jet-powered ATV and the world’s first jet-powered school bus, and now he also has the world’s first jet-powered Smart, which he describes as the “perfect fusion of aviation and automotive.” Equipped with a high-performance General Electric T58-GE03 gas turbine engine, it can hit 220 mph, or 160 top 170mph in 9 seconds on the race track.
The best part about this car is that, despite the modifications, it is street-legal and remains entirely functional. As Berg puts it, you won’t don’t see race cars with functional windshield wipers these days, do you? Both the legality and the functionality of the vehicle allow Berg to travel the world to show it off at various auto events.
“This is the world's fastest smart car – one of our latest insane rides,” Berg says. “Before, the Smart car was powered by a three-cylinder 60hp engine. But that's just not enough for Rocketbilly. So with the help of Arfons, who built and designed the engine, we decided to put in a 2,000hp T-58 UV helicopter engine and we're making a smart car that will do 160 to 170mph in about nine seconds on a race track.”
“This is an incredibly well-built vehicle. On one side, it's super economical. On the other side, not so much, burning around 15 gallons in five minutes,” he adds. “They balance each other out. However, you are literally sitting next to a 2,000hp fire-breathing turbo jet that has a whole lot of movement and a whole lot of heat.”
Berg admits that the Smart was a challenge to create, but it’s only motivated him to look forward to his new project: a jet-powered Rolls Royce Viper II. The Smart is not for sale, he stresses.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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