If the constructing of a 2,400-hp diesel semi truck — i.e., the Mike Ryan/Gale Banks Super-Turbo Freightliner — has a downside, it's the lack of appropriate outlets to test its benefits. There are only so many times you can race up Pikes Peak or belch smoke at a racetrack before those venues start to grow a little boring. Being the only truck of its kind rules out head-to-head racing, and even the state fair circuit would demand an upgrade to jet power.
So Ryan, a Hollywood stunt driver and car wrangler by trade, decided to create his own showcase in the style of Ken Block. Because who wouldn't want to see five tons of Freightliner leap over a row of Smart cars?
In "Size Matters 2," a sequel to his first truck-flinging escapade, Ryan and team imagine a run around the docks in Long Beach, Calif., led by a drifting Nissan 240SX, a security cruiser gone sideways and a few other tricks from the stunt circus bag. While singlehandedly tripling the carbon emissions of the surrounding area with burning rubber and diesel exhaust, Ryan's creation demonstrates its handing and massive thrust in impressive fashion. Clearly the Super-Turbo was born for the camera, and in a just world this would be all the inspiration Hollywood needed to whip up a 21st-century take on "B.J. and the Bear." LINK
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