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http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/archives/2001/aug/3/thiscarzxs3.htm
Then...
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/217/region/Driver_injured_in_high_speed_d:.shtml
Gee, who would have expected strapping a huge jet engine into an SUV and going 300 MPH could cause a problem?
Authorities are "unsure what caused the accident" ??? They aren't real bright up there, are they?
[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 07 August 2001).]
This car's a blast
August 3, 2001
By PAULA PETERS
STAFF WRITER
Hot Rod Lincoln crew member Cory Adams polishes around the jet-powered turbine exhaust before a demonstration drive yesterday. The two square ports at the top hold parachutes that help slow down the vehicle. (Staff photo by STEVE HEASLIP)
OTIS AIR BASE - After Ken High pulls his Darth Vader-like helmet over his head and fires up the Pratt and Whitney J60 P-5 engine in his Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicle, you can't see him beaming, but he is.
"The first thing that happens is, I get a big old smile on my face," High said.
High is the driver/pilot of a souped-up Lincoln that goes from zero to 60 mph in less than a second. He will demonstrate his jet-powered car twice daily this weekend during the Cape Cod Air Show.
The car never leaves the ground, but roars like an F-15 and spits fire like a dragon.
When High invited me to sit shotgun for a first-hand demonstration of his jet-powered SUV, he was unaware I had been rejected for a two-wheeled motorized scooter rental just a few weeks before, due to my "fear factor."
Martha's Vineyard moped dealers had smelled the panic in the air and yanked my keys before I could take off. I wasn't about to miss my chance for redemption.
Looking like a cross between a soccer mom's taxi and the Batmobile, the benign Lincoln emblem on the front belies the giant 7,200-horsepower jet engine exhaust projecting from the rear. The car is capable of speeds in excess of 300 mph and a thrill that surpasses any amusement park roller coaster.
Clearly built for speed
The Navigator, which is actually a completely gutted Fiberglas prototype of the 2001 Lincoln, is bolted onto a specially designed chassis clearly built for speed, not comfort.
Valued at about $250,000, air conditioning is not standard equipment and catching a breeze out the window isn't going to happen - the Plexiglas windows are bolted to the frame. The metal bucket seat is unpadded and the jet engine is where you might look for your armrest and coffee cup holder.
No stranger to risk, High is a former Blackhawk Helicopter Flight Platoon Sergeant for the 82nd Airborne and was a member of the Golden Knights Army parachute team, which also will be performing this weekend.
And, of course, he's a car guy.
"I always had to have the fastest car in town," said the 41-year-old speed enthusiast from Harrison, Mich., who has raced everything from stock cars to snowmobiles.
High offered me an oversized padded flying suit and a helmet, and then strapped me in for the ride of my life.
Claustrophobic feeling
Fat metal roll bars, which I am certain were put there for my own protection, gave me a caged-in, almost claustrophobic feeling. When the helmet was popped onto my head, I felt nearly suffocated by the heat and had to take several deep breaths to fend off a near anxiety attack.
"You ready?" High asked, as if there were any turning back at that point.
As the engine fired up, I could feel the heat from the inferno blasting between the two of us. The smell of jet fuel invaded my helmet and made me slightly nauseous.
Motoring over the tarmac to Runway 32, High blasted the thruster several times just to see if I was awake. A rumbling thunderous noise rocked me in my seat, and it felt as if a bomb had just exploded next to me.
Beads of sweat trickled down my body inside the quilted suit and I grabbed the roll bars to hang on for more security before we took off like a rocket. The scenery became a blur as we sped to a spot on the horizon about a quarter-mile away, hitting a top speed of about 225 mph before High released a drag parachute to slow the car down.
It took less than 30 seconds and used more than 20 gallons of jet fuel.
"It's a kick in the pants," said High, who debuted the car in Daytona earlier this year and plans to set the land-speed record for an SUV in October.
"At that point I would like to break 400," he said, "and there is no doubt in my mind I'll do it."
I think I'll sit that ride out.
Then...
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/217/region/Driver_injured_in_high_speed_d:.shtml
Gee, who would have expected strapping a huge jet engine into an SUV and going 300 MPH could cause a problem?
Authorities are "unsure what caused the accident" ??? They aren't real bright up there, are they?
[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 07 August 2001).]
