Building a car with an aircraft engine is possible, but examples remain exceptionally rare despite the close ties between automakers and aviation.
Building a car with an aircraft engine is possible, but vehicles like these rarely make it to market—even though many automakers have long-standing connections to the aviation industry. There are several straightforward reasons for that: complexity, cost, and more power than most road cars could ever use. Still, from time to time, engineers and enthusiasts build these machines in pursuit of speed records or simply to prove what's possible.
Arguably the best-known vehicle ever powered by aircraft engines. In fact, it uses two of them—Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, the same type used in the F-4 Phantom II fighter jet. Together, they propelled the vehicle to 763 mph.
This experimental Mercedes-Benz was once designed to become the fastest car on Earth. Engineers expected it to reach 466 mph. The six-wheeled machine was powered by a massive 44.5-liter Daimler-Benz DB 603 aircraft engine. Built in 1939, the project was ultimately abandoned after the outbreak of World War II.
The all-wheel-drive race car was powered by an ST6 turbine engine originally developed for helicopters. The unconventional machine even captured pole position at the Indianapolis 500. It had a legitimate chance to win but ultimately came up just short. The Lotus 56 is also remembered for the tragic role it played in the career of racing driver Mike Spence.
Production cars equipped with aircraft-derived engines are extremely rare, but the Tucker Sedan is one of them. The car introduced a remarkable number of bold engineering innovations for its time. However, only 50 examples were ever built.
Aircraft engines have also found their way into one-off creations built by enthusiasts. One of the most famous examples is Brutus, a machine featured during Season 18 of Top Gear. It was assembled shortly after World War II using the chassis of a vehicle built in 1908.
This unusual prewar creation was built by racing driver Adolfo Scandroglio in 1917. Besides its aircraft engine, the car was notable for having no brakes. Ironically, that design decision ultimately led to the death of both its creator and owner.
General Motors also experimented with aircraft-inspired turbine powerplants during the 1950s. At the time, the company's engineers believed turbine-powered cars represented the future of the automobile. That vision never became reality, but the EcoJet still earned its place in automotive history.