Jay Leno is not one to exhibit gas-guzzler guilt. An übergearhead with a yen for rare exotics and quirky classics, the Tonight Show host also keeps a stable of incredibly consumptive machines — a motorcycle outfitted with a helicopter engine, a monstrous hot rod with an M47 Patton-tank V-12 roaring under its hood. But for his latest vehicle, Leno set his famous jaw and strove to achieve outlandish performance without burning a commensurate amount of fossil fuel. The result is the one-of-a-kind EcoJet, a 650-horsepower supercar that runs on biodiesel made from vegetable oil. The idea for the car took shape on a cocktail napkin during a late-night discussion between Leno and Ed Welburn, vice president of global design at General Motors. (How many car guys keep that kind of company?) Welburn brought the sketches back to GM, where he marshaled a team of designers to blueprint the low-slung auto, taking cues from aerospace and Formula One racing. That done, the staff at Leno’s Big Dog Garage in Los Angeles built the EcoJet out of lightweight aluminum, magnesium, and carbon-fiber parts. The end product is a fantasy ride for car geeks and farmers everywhere. Just don’t ask Leno to reveal its miles per acre.
- Mike Spinelli
DESIGN Inspired by aerospace and Formula One. LENO’S TAKE “Show some emotion. Otherlolwise, you end up in Ford Taurus land.”
ENGINE A 650-hp Honeywell LT101 turboshaft — similar to what’s inside Coast Guard helicopters — running on biodiesel. LENO’S TAKE “At least we’re not using fossil fuel. You drive it, then wait around for the next harvest.”
BODY Carbon fiber over Kevlar, with scissor-type doors. LENO’S TAKE “The first thing you learn in supercar school: Put in goofy doors.”
COMPUTER An in-dash PC for voice-activated email. LENO’S TAKE “That’s a distraction. It’s like reading while you’re having sex.”
- Mike Spinelli
DESIGN Inspired by aerospace and Formula One. LENO’S TAKE “Show some emotion. Otherlolwise, you end up in Ford Taurus land.”
ENGINE A 650-hp Honeywell LT101 turboshaft — similar to what’s inside Coast Guard helicopters — running on biodiesel. LENO’S TAKE “At least we’re not using fossil fuel. You drive it, then wait around for the next harvest.”
BODY Carbon fiber over Kevlar, with scissor-type doors. LENO’S TAKE “The first thing you learn in supercar school: Put in goofy doors.”
COMPUTER An in-dash PC for voice-activated email. LENO’S TAKE “That’s a distraction. It’s like reading while you’re having sex.”
At your local dealership: never.
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