Man who spent a decade making world’s first wooden supercar claims it can hit lightning-fast speeds

  • The car is primarily made out of timber
  • It features a Chevrolet LS7 V-8 engine
  • It can theoretically go 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds

Published on Feb 23, 2024 at 9:08 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat

Last updated on Mar 04, 2024 at 1:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Joe Harmon, who is known for making Splinter, the world’s first wooden supercar claims it can go over 321 km/h (200mph).

The car, which took Harmon a decade to build, features a Chevrolet LS7 V-8 engine paired with a six-speed manual Corvette transmission.

According to Harmon, the engine can produce up to 650 horsepower.

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Theoretically, the engine can produce enough power to go 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

However, that speed is only accurate for a normal car, as Splinter might be able to go faster due to its low weight.

The wooden car’s design makes it look very similar to a Lamborghini.

The Splinter is the world’s first wooden car that is made primarily from Timber.

Harmon claims has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than carbon fiber, aluminum, or steel.

The reason why automakers are not using timber in their cars is that preparing timber composites is very time-consuming.

Plus, the supply would never be able to meet the demand as more and more trees would have to be cut down.

Another reason is safety, as the wooden car is highly impractical and can be a fire hazard.

Despite claiming that the wooden car can go over 321 km/h (200mph), Harmon has never driven it over 48 km/h (30 mph)

Recently, a YouTuber also tried to do a similar thing by building a wooden Cybertruck and Cyberquad in 100 days using wood.

Fortunately, Elon Musk noticed his efforts and responded after the man built the fully functional, timber pickup for $15,000.

Conversely, Harmon has spent the better part of a decade trying to build his wooden supercar.

Despite getting a lot of attention, Harmon currently has no intention of cashing in on it.

He also has no plans to build Splinter models for the general public.

# Tags - Cars, supercars, woodwork


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Nalin Rawat

Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.