Who says alt-fuel cars can't be cool? The last time we saw something like AFVTech's 1933 Ford Roadster, Harrison Ford was cruising around looking for it to see who had the fastest car in the valley. AFVTech is best known as a company that does compressed natural gas conversions for fairly mundane things like Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras, but this time around they decided to make a CNG fueled Ford Roadster with an engine that is anything but mundane.
In an interview with Green Car Congress the President of AFVTech Kevin Fern was straight and to the point: "The goal of this project is to make a statement, that Natural Gas can be fun to drive, fast and wrapped up in a package that will turn heads. We are investing a lot of engineering time in this project, highlighting the technological advancements that we use in the Natural Drive Dedicated EPA Certified CNG retrofit systems."
We can agree with him that a 1933 Ford Roadster is a package that will certainly turn heads. And what they have sitting under the hood will sure turn those rear wheels too. The mill in question is a modified General Motors LS7 7-liter engine cranking out in excess of 600 horsepower. That's the same engine you'll find installed in the Corvette Z06, and like all LS7 engines, it is hand-built by GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan.
The AFVTech Ford Roadster is more than just an engine and a CNG conversion. It also features such goodies as a drive-by-wire engine management system that replaces the conventional mechanical and hydraulic control systems and 4-wheel ABS disc brakes with selectable traction control.
According to Edmunds, the CNG Ford Roadster will roll out at the AFVI trade show in Las Vegas in May 2010. Although no one has said whether the car will just be used as a marketing tool or enter into a limited production run, it's easy to guess that we're hoping for the latter.
And the Roadster isn't AFVTech's only custom ride that will be rolling around out there. AutoBlogGreen mentioned that they are also working with the Arizona's Fountain Hills High School research club on converting a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria into a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
Photo: AFVTech
