We call them Specialty Files, and they're reviews of non-automotive—or wildly extra-automotive—vehicles that are . . . weird. Whether the vehicle is a gazillion-horsepower tuner Corvette or a tank, we'll run it through our Specialty File gauntlet. We've tested tanks (yes, plural), modified everyday vehicles, large construction equipment, small construction equipment, and everything in between. These are a few of our favorites from throughout our 60-year history of fooling around at the ragged edge of vehicular madness.
Caterpillar 797 Dump Truck
This colossal dump truck’s name is rather apt. After all, while a Boeing 747 might actually be larger, the Caterpillar sure feels bigger—hence the 797 designation. And it isn’t just the Cat’s exterior dimensions that impress; everything about the rig is big taken bigger. The engine is a 117-liter, quad-turbocharged diesel V-24. There are 10 42-inch disc brakes behind each front wheel, and 15 per corner in back. The tires weigh 10,000 pounds each. And it can hit 40 mph. Wait, did that last bit not sound impressive? Did we mention the 797 weighs 1.3 million pounds? Exactly. Read the full story >>
Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Even way back in 1967, just a few years after Chevrolet's budding take-on-the-world racing program sparked, then fizzled into seclusion, we knew the resultant Corvette Grand Sport race cars were special. Just five were produced, each a wondrous tube-frame race car with special bodywork and huge V-8s. Chevrolet wanted to go racing—and win—at high-profile events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just as the cars were undergoing final testing, Chevy pulled the plug on its in-house racing programs, leaving the Grand Sports grand experiments without a purpose. The cars disappeared, resurfacing now and again under the tutelage of a racing driver, before we were given the chance to drive this one from a private collector. With a non-original but still powerful small-block V-8, the Grand Sport we drove felt like it could have dominated any road race it entered—despite being nearly a decade out of step with the day's front-runners. Read the full story >>
Douglas-Kalmar TBL-280 Tugmaster
We’ll wait a moment for the less mature among you to stop giggling over this aircraft-towing rig’s tug-tactic name before coming right out and saying it: Someone let us tow a Boeing 757. A real one. The Douglas-Kalmar TBL-280 Tugmaster was the vehicle of choice, a 17.5-ton flat-bed for airplanes that’s capable of snatching up the front landing gear of anything short of a 747 and moving it from one place to another. Read the full story >>
M-4 General Sherman Tank
In one of the strangest family reunions extant, current technical director Don Sherman got behind the, uh, levers of an M-4 General Sherman tank in Las Vegas. Named for a certain Civil War general whom Sherman insists is part of the family tree, the M-4 tank was pivotal in World War II but was certifiably antique by the time of our drive. It was awaiting restoration by a casino-owned classic-car museum when Sherman took the controls, piloting the beast across Las Vegas streets to an empty lot where he could play out his Rommel-chasing fantasies. Read the full story >>
Mosler TwinStar Eldorado
If you abide by the mantra that two is always better than one, well, automotive fiddler Mosler sure had the right idea when he stuffed two Cadillac Northstar V-8s into an Eldorado. Intended at first to be a mid-engine Eldorado conversion, the project spiraled somewhat when, after fitting a new engine to the car’s rear, Mosler decided to keep the original one out front. This resulted in a four-wheel-drive, 4780-pound oddity with a combined 575 horsepower. (Come to think of it, that sounds kind of a like a BMW X6 M.) Since each engine operated independently, we particularly enjoyed hearing two V-8s shift at different times. Read the full story >>
Toyota 5FGC25 Forklift
A mere review of a forklift would probably be boring, so we structured the entire thing around the hook that it helps you pick up women better than any exotic sports car. Because it lifts things. (Hey, some of us need all the help we can get.)
Traxxas XO-1 Remote-Controlled Supercar
So we didn’t actually “drive” the Traxxas XO-1, but that’s only because at 27 inches long and 11.8 inches wide, we couldn’t fit on it. In fact, there was just enough room for our VBOX telemetry equipment, which we affixed to the XO-1 to verify Traxxas’s impressive performance claims (0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds and a top speed in excess of 100 mph). We topped 100, but it wasn’t easy, as controlling the 3.5-hp micro-beast was like remotely steering a bottle rocket. Read the full story >>
Volvo 740 Wagon V-8
Paul Newman owned one, as did David Letterman, and we tested one. We are talking, of course, about a V-8–converted Volvo station wagon. With a supercharged Ford 5.0-liter V-8 bolted in by Ross Converse, the under-the-radar 1990 Volvo 740 became a fire-breathing slice of wagon awesometude. We hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and blitzed the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds at 100 mph.
Elgin Pelican P Sweeper
We had perhaps the best time ever cleaning when we tested an Elgin Pelican P, a street sweeper nearly as ungainly appearing as its clunky name. But functionality rules the day, and this sweeper does exactly what it’s advertised to do: clean up the mean streets at a tender 6 mph. Top speed is 23 mph, but with twitchy rear-wheel steering and barely any suspension, a more relaxed pace is preferred. Read the full story >>
Blastolene Indy Special
When the original tank-engined Blastolene went straight into Jay Leno’s personal collection, we snagged a ride in Blastolene number two, dubbed the Indy Special. Like Leno’s ride, this one is powered by a Continental V-12 originally slated for duty in a Sherman tank, but improvements brought its 0-to-60 and quarter-mile times down to just 7.7 seconds and 15.6 seconds, screaming along at 110 decibels. For something that weighs 8400 pounds, that ain’t bad, but the real thrill is the Blastolene’s obscenity: It’s loud, it produces an Arizona summer’s worth of heat, and it’s deeply uncomfortable for those inside and out. We thought it was a blast. Read the full story >>
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