The Tank Car
Leno sure knows how to get his hands on a capable and sustainable vehicle. The show host wants two things in a car: a loud horn and massive charging power. The Blastolene Special, built by Randy Grubb, is powered by a 29-liter WWII M47 Patton tank engine.
The King Kong sized hot rod is built around a 1792 cid V12 Continental-made Chrysler-built tank engine. The huge engine guns its powertrain parts a 1600bhp at 2800 rpm and 1600 pound-feet of maximum torque at 2400 rpm. The whole shebang is charged through an Allison HD4060 six-speed automatic gearbox 9although it has a torque limit), giving the 9 tonne tank car a 0-60 speed of 6.2 seconds and a top acceleration of 140 mph.
Looking for stuff to hot-rod a tank engine from the 1950’s era seemed dim so the vehicle’s supposedly made out of giant slabs of billet aluminum. In cooperation with the renowned Bosche Company, the engine is converted for fuel-injection. The fuel rails alone are the size of V8 camshafts.
Jay Leno wanted a tip top shaped car and he got it. Sans the bizarre take on its exterior though.
