The Reason Jay Leno Teamed Up With General Motors To Build A Jet Car

Jay Leno and General Motors came up with a super fast yet environmentally-friendly jet car that actually worked, but it never made it through production. Why? Aside from comical quips, the "Tonight Show" host is also known for having one of the most expensive car collections ever. Among his ostentatious automobile display are unique, one-off examples like the EcoJet – an outlandish turbine-powered jet car. It was first unveiled at the 2006 Special Equipment Market Association event in Las Vegas as a special collaboration between Leno and GM's then Global Design Vice President Ed Welburn (via Autoblog). Leno's jet car project started out as an idea that he and his mechanic, Bernard Juchli, sketched on paper napkins.

This concept eventually made it to his friends at GM's design team, who used aircraft and Formula 1 racecars as inspiration in bringing it to life. If it resembles captivating Cadillac concept cars like the Ciel, that's because GM gave it "a hint" of the brand's luxury styling as well. However, it doesn't just look like an aircraft, it literally has the heart of one: a Honeywell LTS101. The EcoJet's engine is mostly utilized by commercial planes and helicopters (via Honeywell). However, it's designed as a two-door land vehicle that seats only two people, and having an engine capable of carrying heavier load over air translates to quite an overpowered set-up. Does that instantly mean the EcoJet's was as fast as it looked, though?

The EcoJet isn't all bark and no bite. It's said to generate 650 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, per AutoBlog. The jet car engine sits inside a modified Corvette Z06 frame and a carbon fiber monocoque reinforced with aluminum and magnesium. Its high-powered engine, combined with extremely lightweight components, make the EcoJet fast enough to outrun a speeding jet, as seen in the YouTube video above. In another YouTube video, Leno managed to push it to 165 mph before abruptly decelerating due to safety concerns.

The longtime car enthusiast claimed it can go much faster, but deemed it dangerous considering his car window was basically torn off upon reaching a speed of 130 mph. Of course, achieving the fastest jet car top speed isn't exactly why the EcoJet was made in the first place. As its name suggests, this concept revolves around being eco-friendly, with its interior upholstery consisting entirely of synthetic materials like Alcantara leather. Although it can still run on fossil fuel, Leno opted to use renewable bio-diesel instead so he could drive it "without feeling guilty." Overall, the EcoJet sounds like a dream car for the environmentally-conscious one-percenter, but there's a good reason GM never made it a production model.

Leno's jet car is something of an oddity given its short nose and long rear-end that's quite a contrast to other turbine-powered icons like the fully-functional Batmobile. However, its quirkiness is exactly why he commissioned the project in the first place. The comedian explained that the EcoJet was never meant for mass production; he simply likes doing "interesting automotive things." In a YouTube video, Leno further expounded on his personal connection to what he refereed to as "the future" of cars. The celebrity gearhead lauded turbine car engines that don't require any type of maintenance whatsoever, and can run on practically any type of fuel. As someone who's into "alternative power plants," Leno wanted the Chrysler Turbine Car produced in the 1960s, but opted to build a new one for himself instead.

So, how much does the EcoJet car cost? While Leno is pretty tight-lipped about the EcoJet car's price, he did say he spent three years to develop it. For those bummed out that no EcoJet will be for sale at a local dealership, it's not exactly an ideal daily driver anyway. For starters, Leno pointed out how obnoxiously loud its engine gets, saying he had to use headphones in the cockpit for communication. It not burns up fuel pretty quickly, it also consumes as much of it when idling as it does while driving. If any, the EcoJet serves as a cool reminder of why jet engines are predominantly used for flying, not driving.