Ryan McQueen has built a one-of-a-kind vehicle that combines the power of aviation with automotive engineering: the Insanity Jet Car.
Powered by two Rolls-Royce jet engines, this custom-built dragster generates over 18,000 horsepower. However, the story behind its creation is just as astonishing as the vehicle itself. Spanning 17 years, McQueen’s journey to build the world’s first car powered by jet engines is a testament to passion and sheer perseverance.
The two Rolls-Royce jet engines, originally designed in the 1950s, were previously used in experimental jets flown by the British Royal Air Force and the US Air Force. Together, they produce 14,000 pounds of thrust, and McQueen is determined to push the car to over 400 miles per hour in future drag races. His wife aptly named the vehicle the “Insanity Jet Car,” and the name certainly fits, given the epic journey that led to its creation.
McQueen’s inspiration came from seeing Les Shockley’s iconic Shockwave jet truck as a teenager. However, it wasn’t until he was 30 that he decided to take on the ambitious task of building a similar machine himself. There was just one problem—he had no knowledge of how jet engines worked, let alone how to integrate them into a car. But that didn’t stop him.
Determined to realize his vision, McQueen began researching and discovered that the Ferrari Enzo’s wide body could potentially accommodate two jet engines. With this idea in mind, he set out to build the car piece by piece. Over the next five to six years, he constructed the vehicle’s body and sourced the jet engines from a friend in Colorado. Once he had the engines, he painstakingly built the chassis and other components by hand.
Without formal training, McQueen taught himself the necessary skills to bring his dream to life. He learned welding, mastered AutoCAD to design the car’s structure, and used YouTube tutorials to understand how to work with materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber.
Moreover, he also gained hands-on experience at race tracks, listening to teams and absorbing as much information as possible to aid in the construction of his vehicle.
The journey to build the Insanity Jet Car was far from smooth. After 17 years of hard work, McQueen’s plans to take the car to the track were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced to wait for two years, he was finally able to showcase his creation and now sets his sights on achieving much more.
