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Leith Cars Blog

Would You Drive This Jet Powered VW Beetle? We Would!

Why would anyone put a jet engine in their car? For Stanford University Mechanical Engineer Ron Patrick, PhD, the answer was simple: “Because I wanted the wildest street-legal car possible.” It’s safe to say he got what he wanted.

This monster has two engines: the stock 90-hp gasoline engine that powers the front wheels, and the 1350-hp jet engine that nearly rips it off the road. Check out this video of Patrick spooling up the Jet Beetle for David Letterman back in 2006:

On his website, ronpatrickstuff.com, Patrick outlines how he stitched together his Frankenstein Beetle. He also shows off the beginning of his next project: a jet propelled scooter.

Patrick, who seems to have a certain affinity for finding automotive loop holes, asserts that his car is perfectly legal. “The only pertinent law has to do with how much things can stick out the back of the car. In California, the law says 14in and my VW beetle is 13in.”

But back in 2006, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a formal request to a federal agency attempting to ban the Beetle. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any information on where the VW Jet Beetle is today, but if we had to guess, it’s still in Ron Patrick’s hands – getting tuned to perfection and driven with glee.

Patrick says: “The car has a universal appeal to everyone, it’s a little bit of hell wrapped up in metal.”

But why buy a jet engine when you could ride in the luxury of a Roll-Royce? Their stock engines are packing plenty of heat, and you’ll be riding much smoother than a VW Beetle ever will.