100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower

[RightMarc]

You guys might have heard of this before. I think I saw it on TV once. Just thought I'd relay it here if not.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html?page=0%2C1

Johnathan Goodwin can get 100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower. Does the car business have the guts to follow him?

Check it out. It's actually a jet engine," says Johnathan Goodwin, with a low whistle. "This thing is gonna be even cooler than I thought." We're hunched on the floor of Goodwin's gleaming workshop in Wichita, Kansas, surrounded by the shards of a wooden packing crate. Inside the wreckage sits his latest toy--a 1985-issue turbine engine originally designed for the military. It can spin at a blistering 60,000 rpm and burn almost any fuel. And Goodwin has some startling plans for this esoteric piece of hardware: He's going to use it to create the most fuel-efficient Hummer in history.

Goodwin, a 37-year-old who looks like Kevin Costner with better hair, is a professional car hacker. The spic-and-span shop is filled with eight monstrous trucks and cars--Hummers, Yukon XLs, Jeeps--in various states of undress. His four tattooed, twentysomething grease monkeys crawl all over them with wrenches and welding torches.

Goodwin leads me over to a red 2005 H3 Hummer that's up on jacks, its mechanicals removed. He aims to use the turbine to turn the Hummer into a tricked-out electric hybrid. Like most hybrids, it'll have two engines, including an electric motor. But in this case, the second will be the turbine, Goodwin's secret ingredient. Whenever the truck's juice runs low, the turbine will roar into action for a few seconds, powering a generator with such gusto that it'll recharge a set of "supercapacitor" batteries in seconds. This means the H3's electric motor will be able to perform awesome feats of acceleration and power over and over again, like a Prius on steroids. What's more, the turbine will burn biodiesel, a renewable fuel with much lower emissions than normal diesel; a hydrogen-injection system will then cut those low emissions in half. And when it's time to fill the tank, he'll be able to just pull up to the back of a diner and dump in its excess french-fry grease--as he does with his many other Hummers. Oh, yeah, he adds, the horsepower will double--from 300 to 600.

"Conservatively," Goodwin muses, scratching his chin, "it'll get 60 miles to the gallon. With 2,000 foot-pounds of torque. You'll be able to smoke the tires. And it's going to be superefficient."

He laughs. "Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!"

This is the sort of work that's making Goodwin famous in the world of underground car modders. He is a virtuoso of fuel economy. He takes the hugest American cars on the road and rejiggers them to get up to quadruple their normal mileage and burn low-emission renewable fuels grown on U.S. soil--all while doubling their horsepower. The result thrills eco-evangelists and red-meat Americans alike: a vehicle that's simultaneously green and mean. And word's getting out. In the corner of his office sits Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 Jeep Wagoneer, which Goodwin is converting to biodiesel; soon, Neil Young will be shipping him a 1960 Lincoln Continental to transform into a biodiesel--electric hybrid.

His target for Young's car? One hundred miles per gallon.

[joshalabama]

It pisses me off when people talk about hybrids/etc mpg. It isn't really mpg. I could have a full electric car and say I get infinite mpg. Pet peeve.

[ZX2Fast]

He'll end up dead and the oil companies will know nothing about it.

[jdrzx2]

When my friend was buying a Cobalt I was reading an article about him in some science magazine with the H3. That stuff sounds really interesting to me, I'd like to see how and if this guy could ever pull of semi mass production of his products.

[99fordzx2]

He'll end up dead and the oil companies will know nothing about it.

Seems like more of a likely outcome. Sounds ike interesting stuff. I wonder how much one of these cars would cost to make so effiecint.


-D

[Buster]

Maybe he gets better MPG, but I can't imagine you'd save any money running jet fuel over gasoline.

[99fordzx2]

^^^Says it burns any fuel. Mostly biodiesel to save money since its cheaper.


-D

[iceracer]

If you believe that. I have a bridge for sale.
The car companies, with their problems of poor gas mileage, would be all over something like that. Turbines have been tried before, poor mileage plus emission problems.

[99fordzx2]

What do you mean? THis guy has already gotten it to work using biodeisel and hydrogen injection? If they wanted it the techs there he's not patenting anything just putting parts together and making them work. The problem is its too revolutionary to catch on on a higher scale. Thats the problem with alot of forward thinking ideas. The US never catches on until like 10 years later.


-D

[dragon2200]

If you ask me car companies and oil companies are working together, why because if a vehicle is too fuel efficient the oil companies lose billions of dollars in revenue a year as does the government due to it's loss of fuel tax profits.

Call me a conspiracy theorist is you want but there have been many proven ways to increase fuel efficiency and all have been bought out patented and the technology disappears.

110 mpg mustang
www.local6.com/automotive/16768626/detail.html

[2000ZxT]

He'll end up dead and the oil companies will know nothing about it.

This is true.

[dragon2200]

It pisses me off when people talk about hybrids/etc mpg. It isn't really mpg. I could have a full electric car and say I get infinite mpg. Pet peeve.

A hybrid still uses gas therefore uses a widely accepted mpg measurement as comparison. As for full electric and mpg once again mpg is just a measurment that consumers can understand.

[joshalabama]

A hybrid still uses gas therefore uses a widely accepted mpg measurement as comparison. As for full electric and mpg once again mpg is just a measurment that consumers can understand.

It doesn't matter, it just isn't that relevant. Not when you add not using the gas to the calculated mpg. Run the car full throttle and lets see the mpg. Top Gear recently did a test of the Prius v M3 in fuel mileage. They pushed the prius as hard as they could around the track and had the m3 follow behind it keeping up and then they calculated mpg. The Prius got 12 and the M3 achieved 19. I just don't think that mpg in a hybrid is the same as mpg in a regular fuel burning engine.

[corbygasm]

He'll end up dead and the oil companies will know nothing about it.

lol :biggun:

[iceracer]

Ah, the old conspiracy theory. Has been around for years.
Ask Toyota why they stopped making trucks and GM and Ford have cut truck production way back and all are developing higher fuel mileage cars. Producing a reliable car that meets emmision standards plus safety is a lot different than some back yard tinkerer.

[powder]

There's some conspiracy stuff that surrounds every discovery. Guy who used to work for the company i work for supposedly invented a carb that heats the fuel to just before it's combustion point and basically ran off fumes/vapors. Many people witnessed him getting 300 mpg, i've heard the story a few dozen times in the 8 months i've worked here. One day the guy didn't show up for work, and no one heard from him again. That was supposedly 5 years or so ago. Could just be a fable, but enough guys vouch for him to make you think it's not.

[4U2QUIK]

lol my friend gets 30mpg in his megasquirted caddy.

[4U2QUIK]

There's some conspiracy stuff that surrounds every discovery. Guy who used to work for the company i work for supposedly invented a carb that heats the fuel to just before it's combustion point and basically ran off fumes/vapors. Many people witnessed him getting 300 mpg, i've heard the story a few dozen times in the 8 months i've worked here. One day the guy didn't show up for work, and no one heard from him again. That was supposedly 5 years or so ago. Could just be a fable, but enough guys vouch for him to make you think it's not.


seems like every machine shop has a story like that lol.

[LiveWire]

The reason the thing won't make it into production is it would cost too much to build. He built the thing from used parts and probably still has a butt load into it. Most people's main concern about mileage is they want to net ahead in money. So if the fuel savings don't offset the purchase cost, most people won't buy it. A few years back, we needed a new car and my wife wanted 4 wheel drive because she would get stuck at home in the winter when I took our Excursion to work instead of the car. So I looked at Jeep Liberty Diesel. It was about $4k more. I was ready to sign papers when I found out none of the incentives applied to it, $5-6K worth. I pulled out my calculator and determined I would not offset the additional cost in the life of the car. So I left. Got a Jetta Diesel that gets 40 mpg city driving where my ZX2 got 28. I ran Blizzaks on it last winter.

If the auto companies where conspiring with the oil companies, then the auto companies would not be losing their asses due to the sudden shift in vehicle model sales.

[JC'szx2]

i wonder where you go to have a jet engine fixed at if you have problems?

the whole conspiracy thing is bs the Ford and GM wouldnt slit there own wrist for the oil companies Dodge on the other hand must be in cahoots with oil with $2.99/gl gas to make you feel like your saving big money with your $700 truck payment

[dragon2200]

True but what about Europe most of the cars over there are already over 50mpg

[KRUX]

I want to see what it throws out for PPM and CO2..hook it up to a 4 way gas analyzer and i would love to see it.

[mechtech]

The Batmobile was a turbine. [ I mean the actual car by George Barris for the TV series.]
At low speeds, jet engines don't work efficiently - they like the ram of air at high speeds.

[iceracer]

Chrysler built a fleet of turbine powered cars and leased/lowned them to people to drive and evaluate years ago. The costs of operation of the cars and poor mpg, plus other problems caused them to drop the program.

[Buster]

i wonder where you go to have a jet engine fixed at if you have problems?


A Boeing Dealer. I bet their labor rate is a LITTLE higher than Ford's. :D

[Grommish]

Chrysler built a fleet of turbine powered cars and leased/lowned them to people to drive and evaluate years ago. The costs of operation of the cars and poor mpg, plus other problems caused them to drop the program.
Indeed.. 1965 production, based on the 1961 Concent...

Do a Google on "Turbine Car", its an interesting read..

[4U2QUIK]

I heard they dimantled all of those cars after they were done.

[2000ZxT]

I really feel like the obvious answer is stock turbo diesel applications, for now at least.

Ford is getting some serious mpg's out of those engines in Europe.

[dragon2200]

If anyone had the money I think it would be interesting to see a 2.2l diesel swap from a euro Focus to a Zx2, it has been been proven that if built right a diesel can blow gas out of the water in terms of mpg, hp and torque.

[LiveWire]

My brother was putting a Mazda 2.0 Diesel in a ZX2. The engine and trans are mounted. The main hurdle left is wiring. He has not done anything with it in a while.


A hybrid still uses gas therefore uses a widely accepted mpg measurement as comparison. As for full electric and mpg once again mpg is just a measurment that consumers can understand.

If you read that article carefully, you will see they are not including the hydrogen in the fuel calculations. They say 50% less fuel usage, but that is 50% less diesel fuel. There are some more grand claims which go from gas to Diesel then figure double the mileage of the Diesel. Diesel to gas is real, but the hydrogen part of it is highly misleading. It also says they are getting 700 miles on a tank of hydrogen. They do not say how much hydrogen, how much that hydrogen costs, etc. I can get 840 miles on a tank of fuel in my Excursion, 42 gallons at 20mpg highway at 70mph. Overhead gauge will be reading 22.5mpg. So if I doubled my mileage to 1680 miles, I had to fill up the hydrogen twice before filling up the Diesel fuel. I would rather see MPD, miles per dollar. Using the national average for fuel prices, tell me how far I can go for a dollar. That would work for electric vehicle based on the national average for electricity. Tell me what that hydrogen conversion goes and I bet it will be far less.

[ZeeEcksTwo]

Volkswagen has a small hatchback overseas called the Polo. The extremely fuel efficient version is the Polo BlueMotion 2. Volkswagen Driver magazine profiled the car in its January 2008 issue. Using a 1422cc 6V inline 3 cylinder diesel [19.5:1 compression ratio, 80hp @ 4000RPM, 144ft.lbs torque @ 1800RPM] with a VTG turbo, it features a 5 speed manual transmission, special lightweight wheels [14"x6" with 165/70R14 high pressure tires], a 2,389lb curb weight, ABS/EBD/HBA & electro-mechanical steering. It available in 2 and 4 door body styles, and is maybe the size of a ZX2, perhaps a tad smaller. The fuel economy this car is capable of getting is 55.4mpg [Urban, similar to city], 83.1mpg [Extra Urban, similar to highway]. VWD's overall test economy [including performance tests] was 62.8mpg overall. And this car carries a 10 gallon fuel tank.

Of course it isn't fast. Zero to 60 times were clocked at 11.1 seconds. It takes nearly 20 seconds to reach 80mph from a dead stop, and has a top speed of 109mph. And then there's the price. Using a generic pound-to-dollar conversion scale [usually 2-1], that would mean this small hatchback would sell for $25,690, more than what a GTI would sell for with a few options, or a similar price to the new Jetta TDI. Keep in mind that doesn't include all the extra crash items needed for the US market.

The technology is out there, but I'd be asking the government & all related vehicle groups [NHTSB to name one] why they won't allow these cars over here. Peugeot is developing a diesel/electric hybrid version of their hatchback series [to be called a version of the 307] that can average over 100mpg. Given the costs of both diesel & hybrid technology, that'll be one expensive car.

[LiveWire]

It also won't pass US emissions. If they modified it to, the mileage would drop significantly.

[iceracer]

You will see more of these cars coming into the US in the future. Safety regulations and emmisions were holding them back and there was no demand for them.
Until recently you couldn't buy a diesel car in 5 states.