Undead Datsun Demonstrates Electrifying Performance

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

How does 0 – 60 in less than a second, and 156 mph in the quarter mile sound? Like… a loud whir. MSNBC reports Scott Dube's lithium-ion powered KillaCycle is breaking local records at drag strips and hopes to challenge the world record for bikes powered by nitromethane. That's not too bad for "a giant cordless drill with wheels." In the four-wheeled world, Dick Brown's White Zombie started life as a 1972 Datsun 1200. The undead automobile is now the world's quickest-accelerating street-legal electric car, covering the quarter mile in 11.46 seconds (the Corvette Z06 needs 11.8 seconds to cover the same distance). In terms of consumer aplications, the Zombie's quarter-mile driving range could be something of an issue.

Frank Williams
Frank Williams

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  • Shaker Shaker on Jul 30, 2007

    The noise was kept at the power plant; just the "low hum" comes through the cables ;-)

  • C. Alan C. Alan on Jul 30, 2007
    Luther: A life-sized Tamiya product! Cool! You sir, owe me a new keyboard.
  • VLAD VLAD on Jul 30, 2007

    AGR, Hard to say, keep in mind I'm used to stand next to a nitro bike and the reference frame is different from a "civilian". It's more like the engine noise and smell is missing, but all the other noise and smell is still there, ie the burnout and it's noise and smoke without pure engine noise, tire and some mechanical noise during the run. There is definitely something in the air when the thing runs, but it's different from when a nitro bike runs. I guess I'm very much trained to pick the slightest things out of my surroundings, and while this is something new it's almost like one can feel the electricity in the air, a little like when a thunderstorm is approaching. Hard to explain, sort of like even if you couldn't see it and smell it and the thing is running under power one still would somehow know it is there.

  • VLAD VLAD on Jul 30, 2007

    Just occurred to me, still talking storm, but the difference between lightning and thunder.

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