After driving the car on Top Gear, presenter Jeremy Clarkson described the experience as akin to “doing a crossword while being eaten by a tiger”. The Meteor that appeared during the identical episode has the chassis from a Nineteen Thirties Rolls-Royce Phantom and a World War II-vintage, 27-liter Rolls-Royce Meteor engine. The engine produces 850 bhp , which permits the automobile to attain a prime pace of one hundred sixty mph (260 km/h) and a gas effectivity of roughly 2 mpg‑imp (1.4 L/km). In 2013, the Meteor went on sale for a price “in excess of £500,000”. From 1945, industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes promoted his concept for a streamlined flying automotive with folding wings.
His aluminum Autoplane sported three wings that spanned 40 feet (12.2 meters). The automobile’s motor drove a four-bladed propeller on the rear of the automobile. The Autoplane by no means truly flew, however it did handle a couple of short hops. Radial engines are great, however what if you wish to set hearth to the impatient idiot within the car behind you at the site visitors light? Californian Ron Patrick solved this downside by installing a jet-modified gas turbine engine from a Sea King helicopter into his Beetle.
