4 days ago
This Boeing Powered Porsche Doesn't Have Wings But It Can Fly
Over the past several years, Boeing products have gotten something of a bad rap. A couple of deadly 737 Max crashes and an emergency-exit-door plug ejecting itself mid-flight will tend to do that. Some air travelers are now afraid to set foot on Boeing jets at all, but in the case of this 1982 Porsche 928 with Boeing power, a mechanical issue is only going to land you on the highway's shoulder, not falling from 30,000 feet. Under the shark's hood is a Boeing T50 Turboshaft engine originally used in a Vietnam War-era helicopter drone.
Perhaps what's most insane is that this may not even be the only jet-powered Porsche 928 in existence. Member of the Porsche discussion forum Rennlist picked up on a red turboshaft-powered 928 back in 2008. Is the 928's V8 with its infamous timing belt so bad that it's more practical to swap in a helicopter engine?!
Jokes aside, it's unclear if the two cars are actually different iterations of the same car, or perhaps share the same builder. Besides differing in color, the red car has a single large exhaust port sticking out of the hood whereas the burnt orange example has its hood butchered for two smaller ports. Both cars appear to have spent time in Oregon, so perhaps there is, indeed, a connection. If you know, drop a comment down below.
Read more: These V6 Engines Put The LS1 V8 To Shame
One of the issues with running aeronautical propulsion in your P-car is that peak horsepower occurs at a ridiculous 28,000-plus rpm — not unlike this gas-turbine Firebird concept car. In this case, a reduction gearbox tamps that down to a more harnessable 5,950 rpm. Reportedly, the T50 Turbofan makes about 300 horsepower in this unusual application. That's perhaps less horsepower than one might expect from such a bodacious power plant, but it's still more than the 231 hp this non-S model 928 had when stock.
According to an Uncommon Classic Cars video that shows the Porsche running and driving, two batteries wired in series provide the 24 volts required get the beast started. The test driver also remarks that the hood-mounted exhaust stacks create an ethereal, wavy distortion in his line of sight. And oh yeah, the operating temperature is north of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Besides the elephant in the room under the hood, this 928 appears to be in pretty good shape. The paint is nice, it has larger-diameter (but mercifully original-equipment-looking) wheels, and the air conditioning is said to function. If small-block Chevy swaps like this 911 are too passé for you, this 130-decibel-generating 928 is for sale at Duncan Imports and Classics in Virginia. Admittedly, buyers don't seem to be beating down the door. It's been for sale for over a year, and the price has been slashed from $50,000 to a mere $29,747. That's definitely not the least expensive Porsche 928 on the market, but how many others can shoot afterburner flames from the hood?
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