Jay Leno, GM Advanced Design
Studio Collaborated on 650-Horsepower Supercar that Runs on
Bio-Diesel
Photo: General Motors
What would keep a group of
automotive designers up all night? “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno,
for starters, but not by his monologue or parade of Hollywood
guests. This time it’s because the late-night talk show host
invited the General Motors Advanced Design Studio to help design
a mid-engine, turbine-powered supercar called EcoJet. Leno and
Ed Welburn, GM vice president of Global Design, introduced the
car today at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
show.
EcoJet’s genesis goes back to a
discussion between Leno, an avid car enthusiast and collector,
and Bernard Juchli, the chief mechanic and caretaker of Leno’s
collection. Leno then turned to Welburn for design direction.
“A couple of paper napkins later,
Ed had begun to capture the essence of the car,” said Leno.
“I’ve admired the work of GM’s Design Studio in North Hollywood,
Calif., and asked Ed if the studio’s director, Frank Saucedo,
and his guys could continue the design study,” Welburn agreed,
and a two-week sketching frenzy commenced as GM’s designers
began working after-hours with Leno’s team on the project.
.
“EcoJet’s esthetics were
driven by aeronautical and jet-age influences,” said
Welburn. “It’s a purpose-driven design that conveys
power, capability and even danger, with a hint of
Cadillac’s sophisticated design vocabulary.”
Borrowing design cues from
jet aircraft and Formula One racecars, the supercar
began to take shape under the watchful eyes of Leno and
Welburn. A concurrent engineering program defined the
vehicle’s proportions and mechanics.
Leno relied on Juchli and the
entire Big Dog team at his garage to turn the EcoJet vision into
a reality.
“We thought we pushed the creative
envelope with the ’66 twin turbo Toronado project with GM, but this
turbine-powered monster is a whole new level of complexity,” said Juchli,
who constructed the car at Leno’s facility.
The 650-horsepower (400 lb.-ft. of torque)
Leno original is powered by a Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine that runs
on bio-diesel fuel. The engine sits in a modified Corvette Z06
hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and
chassis components. The vehicle’s shell is an advanced construction of
carbon fiber over Kevlar.
EcoJet project partners
GM
Advanced Design Studio, North Hollywood, Calif. – conceptual and
build design, engineering, digital design and fabrication support
Alcoa
– chassis and wheel engineering Metalcrafters – body engineering and
construction
