A MODIFIED 1970s Corvette has been described as 'one of history’s greatest streetcars'. Custom-built by legendary modifier, Andy Granatelli, the Chevvy is worth over $800,000 and is capable of speeds over 180mph. It currently lives at the Rock ’n Roll Car Museum in Austin, Texas and is a stand-out piece in their collection. Boasting 880HP, it can push from 0-60mph in less than three seconds and has a gas turbine engine. Andy Schmidt said: “To drive this car, it’s not easy. You have to put a little work into it. There’s actually a fifth break that’s installed in order to help slow this car down. It can be a handful but when you get on the throttle, it’s all worthwhile. When you do hit the accelerator pedal, you better be holding on because this thing is going to take off."
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00:00 00;01;10;12 00;01;12;12 This is truly one of history's most
00:04 incredible street cars.
00:05 00;01;12;12 00;01;15;12 It's scary fast, the sheer rawness of it, the excitement and the
00:11 acceleration.
00:12 00;01;15;12 00;01;20;12 When you do hit the accelerator pedal, you better be holding on
00:16 because this thing is going to take off.
00:21 00;01;20;12 00;01;27;12 The Rock and Roll Car Museum in Austin, Texas, is home to a Chevy
00:28 like no other.
00:30 Modified by legendary Indy mechanic Andy Granatelli, this 1978 Corvette is powered by a Pratt & Whitney
00:38 ST6B turbine engine.
00:41 00;01;27;12 00;01;39;10 Packs 880 horsepower, pushes 0-60 in less than 3 seconds, and is
00:48 capable of speeds over 180 miles per hour.
00:52 00;01;40;10 00;01;50;10 It's a marvel, it really is, it's an amazing piece.
00:55 What we like to call the wolf in sheep's clothing.
00:58 00;01;50;10 00;02;00;10 It uses a compressed gas to turn turbine blades.
01:02 This one instead of using thrust actually uses a shaft that turns the drive shaft through
01:08 the transmission just like a normal car would.
01:10 But it is still a true jet engine, it's absolutely stunning.
01:14 00;02;00;10 00;02;05;10 And being in a class of its own, it's no surprise that this is
01:20 the pride of the museum's collection.
01:22 When you have something that's so unique like this, it really stands out.
01:26 You can have a lot of Porsches or a lot of Ferraris, but there's only one Jetvette.
01:31 This car approximately cost $550,000 and it was purchased in 2005.
01:37 If I was to guess its value today and what it would cost to build this, I mean you could
01:42 spend 6, 7, $800,000.
01:48 Because it differs so much from a normal V8 engine, the engine extends all the way from
01:52 the very front of the car where the radiator normally would be, all the way into the firewall.
01:57 Under these covers would be the exhaust side of the turbine engine, in the center is the
02:03 compressor side.
02:05 This series of fins that looks like a radiator is actually the condenser for the air conditioning.
02:09 This car actually has functioning air conditioning and because this engine acts like a giant
02:14 fan, it sucks in the air at such a high rate.
02:18 Even with a high ambient temperature, the AC in this car works flawlessly.
02:22 And a turbine engine presents unique issues met with unique solutions.
02:30 The biggest problem with this car is trying to vent the hot exhaust gases.
02:38 A turbine engine will produce enormous temperatures, we're talking over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:45 It has a very remarkable exhaust system that was very well engineered and built.
02:50 The turbine engine, because they burn so much fuel at such high temperature, it has to have
02:56 so much surface area in order to get this exhaust out of the car.
03:00 So they built this massive flat exhaust system.
03:03 It's all made out of a material called Inconel, which is similar to stainless steel in many
03:08 ways, but it has a much higher operating temperature and it dissipates heat a lot better.
03:13 So it enters right here, it comes around and then bridges back together, and it fans out
03:19 and then out of the diffuser.
03:21 And there is nothing else that's ever been built this way.
03:25 Up front here we have a series of switches and gauges which are completely different
03:29 from the road going car.
03:34 To drive this car, it's not easy.
03:40 You have to put a little work in.
03:41 There's actually a fifth brake that is installed in order to help slow this car down.
03:47 You can start out by holding the brake very firmly.
03:50 Some people maybe would have to use actually two feet.
03:53 The car will idle between 70 and 90 miles an hour depending on conditions and the road
03:59 you're on.
04:00 It can be a handful, but when you get on the throttle, it makes it all worthwhile.
04:04 Once you drop the car into gear, you would slowly let off on the brake pedal, just like
04:08 any other car.
04:09 It will actually start going without touching the accelerator pedal.
04:14 When you do hit the accelerator pedal, you better be holding on because this thing is
04:17 going to take off.
04:19 It's going to snap your neck.
04:21 This is truly one of history's most incredible street cars.
04:28 This car accelerates so smoothly and so quickly that before you know it, you're surpassing
04:34 130 miles an hour.
04:35 You have to be very careful when you're driving it because it just really wants to stretch
04:40 its legs and run.
04:42 Awe-inspiring.
04:43 Just a marvel of engineering.
04:46 It's scary fast.
04:49 The sheer rawness of it, the excitement, and the acceleration.
04:54 It will put a smile on your face every time.
04:57 It's a lot of fun to drive.
04:59 Truly an amazing vehicle.