What happens when you combine a Nissan suspension, a big-turbo Toyota 3.0-liter 2JZ inline-6, a custom-fabricated body, and a vegetable steamer? You get the 2 Jet Z, that's what.
Besides being an obvious reference to the engine that powers it and the chassis it rides on, 2 Jet Z gets its name because, as Jay Leno puts it, it's the next-best thing to flying a jet.
This open-wheel kit car weighs approximately 1,650 pounds, and thanks to the big-turbo setup on that 2JZ, it's packing just shy of 630 horsepower. Needless to say, it scoots.
"It really is a low-flying jet; it's unbelievable," Leno said from behind the wheel. "It's a real car. It's not some prototype you have to push onto the stand."
According to GTPlanet the 2 Jet Z actually has two drive modes. There's a daily driver tune that makes just 525 hp and an extra boost mode that unleashes all 627 ponies. Builder Luis Rodriguez even tuned it to spit flame now and again, like any proper jet should.
But the coolest feature might be that stainless-steel vegetable steamer mounted to the exhaust. It's intended to mimic a jet turbine exhaust from an actual fighter jet, and it's linked to the gas pedal via cable so that it opens and closes with throttle inputs.
Then there's the styling. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, we'll admit, but the 2 Jet Z is as outlandish as it is cleverly named. It's so ridiculous, in fact, that it was named the 2018 Hot Wheels Legends Tour Champion during Mattel's 50th anniversary celebration of the toy car brand.
As the winner, the 2 Jet Z will become a Hot Wheels model at some point down the line. Look for it in a grocery store checkout line near you.