An Even More Mystery Car

"Axel-Ripper" (Axel-Ripper)
08/05/2013 at 21:02 • Filed to: Mystery Cars

In light of the post today about the mysterious EV1s that are scattered across campuses in this country, I bring you another mystery car from the depths of this country's higher educational system. This here used to reside in the basement of the Kettering University Academic Building. I say used to because the area that it was in was just renovated into a power electronics laboratory, and as far as I know it has now been scrapped, sadly.

As you can see in the background, there was also an EV1 in this same room once upon a time. It has now been donated to a local museum I believe. I am unsure how complete it was, but it did have the charging station with it.

So what is this mystery car, you ask? No one is really sure. It was right hand drive, manual, and appeared to be similar in style to a Dodge neon. Oh, and it was 2-stroke.

Yes, you read that right. 2-stroke.

After some research I was able to once upon a time come across some information on it. It was a collaborative effort between a Michigan company, Venture Industries, and ZIL, the Russian automaker. All powered by a 3 cylinder Orbital Direct Injected 2-stroke engine. It, of course, never happened, and what I believe to have been a prototype was left to sit in the basement of a university.

Many a student had tried to breathe new life into it (including myself, who got as far as having the engine turning over) however no one ever had enough access or time to get it actually going.

Some more information can be found in old random websites around the internet, such as:

http://wardsauto.com/news-amp-analy…

http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/exclu…

DISCUSSION (16)

greenagain > Axel-Ripper
08/05/2013 at 21:27

Too bad about Orbital, it seemed promising.

Unwound > Axel-Ripper
08/05/2013 at 21:28

Looks like they should have stuck to building scooters

Kinja'd!!!

vdub_nut: scooter snob > Axel-Ripper
08/06/2013 at 10:28

I thought a certain somebody got it started?

Axel-Ripper > vdub_nut: scooter snob
08/06/2013 at 10:47

Cranked, never fired.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > Axel-Ripper
08/06/2013 at 14:25

Ahhh. So the rumors that someone ran it around the teachers lot are just that, rumors.

Axel-Ripper > vdub_nut: scooter snob
08/06/2013 at 14:48

As far as I ever knew

test_post_please_ignore > Axel-Ripper
08/06/2013 at 20:13

The car also has composite body panels! I can't recall if they're plastic or fiberglass, but definitely not sheet metal.

Sad to see this car go; I would have loved to see it running. 2 strokes, 3 cylinders, and 4 wheels - like an ancient Saab!

Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin > Axel-Ripper
08/07/2013 at 15:32

Shame it got scrapped (like I need another project). Where in the AB was it?

Axel-Ripper > Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin
08/07/2013 at 15:49

Old SAE Garage. Now I believe their newly done hybrid/power electronics garage. Under 1817/1819.

Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin > Axel-Ripper
08/07/2013 at 17:17

I see. Haven't been down in that area yet, I'll have to poke around.

Axel-Ripper > Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin
08/07/2013 at 18:14

Yeah, some pretty cool shit used to be down there. This car and the formula lightning car disappeared, but they juuuust might be sitting next to the C4 Corvette in the old chassis lab. Its probably locked, but located off of the powertrain lab behind the fishbowl.

Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin > Axel-Ripper
08/07/2013 at 19:08

I've spent the last week and a half trying to get in there, but it's always locked. It's a shame that the school has such awesome facilities but they're always closed.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Axel-Ripper
10/05/2020 at 04:53

Maleo

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/maleo-edit-more-info-acquired-1793757510

awesome!

is it still there by chance?

Axel-Ripper > pip bip - choose Corrour
10/05/2020 at 07:23

Holy crap wow. Thanks for that! You don’t know how long I searched for info on it and came up empty.

I don’t think it is. last I knew (which would have been like 2013) it had been either scrapped or moved to storage elsewhere as they were re purposing the dungeon it was kept in for a robotics lab. Could maybe contact them and see, but I’m guessing it is probably the former, knowing random and unloved things like this

pip bip - choose Corrour > Axel-Ripper
10/05/2020 at 07:34

you wouldn’t have any more pics of the car by chance?

Axel-Ripper > pip bip - choose Corrour
10/05/2020 at 10:02

No, those were the only ones I had, pretty sure taken on a flip phone ca. 2010-11.