Jet-Powered Hearse Gives New Meaning to Going Out in a Blaze of Glory

Driving off into the sunset has never been, uh, louder? Youtuber Adam Beard has found another wild ride, one that literally left him shaking: a homebuilt jet engine-powered hearse. 

On his channel, Twin Engine Corsa, Beard introduces us to a Vauxhall Omega Hearse that is unlike any hearse you have ever seen, ever heard, and will likely ever be transported in. Frankly, with the potential power of this thing, if you ain’t already dead, the Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet engine powered up behind your ears will finish the job.

The owner Richard says the engine idles between 40 and 42 percent power, which you can listen to at the 2:34 mark of the video. Make sure to turn your speaker volume down, though, because sonorous is not the kind of sound you will hear. Unless you’re a pilot or an airport marshaller. 

The vehicle was only at no more than 50 percent when Beard was taken for a spin. You can’t hear a word the two are saying due to the jet engine’s decibelic roar, but Beard’s face expresses all shades of excitement, fright, and disbelief. At 3:49, relief and possibly tears overwhelm him. “Jesus Christ” is all he can muster before wiping his face.

With hands shaking, Beard admits, “I’ve never been so frightened at no miles an hour, one mile an hour, in my life.”

Beard compares the jet hearse experience to a windy idle that progresses into tornado-level winds at just half-power, realizing each 10-percent power increment is “even worse.” To which Richard responds that he’s pushed the engine maybe 85 percent “but that’s with the doors open.” Congrats on remaining in one piece, bruv.

Beard goes on to provide a deep-dive walkaround of the stripped-out, jet engine-filled “Home Made Rolls Royce Jet Hearse.” A couple of quick tidbits include the tank emptying after 90 seconds at full throttle and Richard buying the engine from an eBay seller he was chatting with about a completely different engine (Russian MiG). 

Also, even with brakes, the vehicle takes a while to slow due to the continued momentum of the thrust. But, heck, the hearse will go from creep to 70 mph in an instant, so make sure that straightway is indeed straight and a very long way.

For Beard, his comfort zone appears to be outside of the hearse, and with the engine dead cold. You can check out the full 11-minute video here.

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