You pull into the car wash and the lighted sign tells you when to stop. Jet nozzles cover your car with water, then soap, then rinse it off with high pressure. As the last rinse cycle begins you shift to 1st with your foot on the clutch and tighten your grip on the steering wheel. The arch finishes washing the rear of your car and moves back forward. You rev the engine. The lighted sign switches from "STOP" to a countdown; "3... 2... 1... DRY" You pop the clutch and launch your car out of the wash at max acceleration. The dark wash bay opens to reveal 5000 feet of pristine runway with lighted edges. The gas pedal is buried. Powershifting through 2nd, 3rd and 4th your car blows through 60mph, then 80, then 100. At 130mph your reach the stopping markers and apply full brakes, thrust into your seatbelt as the ABS jerks the car to a halt. At the end you look both ways, signal, and pull out into traffic to head to the grocery store.
Adequate drying not guaranteed for cars unable to reach 130mph.-- DIYMatt, Sep 23 2012 Fun car wash is an interesting concept. I would like a car wash that is in a big open space that has people in furry fluffy but protective mascot costumes running around soaked with soapy water and you have to run them down etc to wash your car. Cars would have to have a rigid skirt placed around the bottom to prevent running the human sponges over, but mostly they would just bounce off the sides and roof unhurt.-- rcarty, Sep 23 2012 In Germany they would call this (+) an autobuhn.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Sep 23 2012 Is there an arch of mosquito netting over this runway to keep the bugs away?-- scad mientist, Sep 23 2012 //You pop the clutch and launch your car out of the wash at max acceleration.//
Popping the clutch won't lead to maximum acceleration, particularly not after having just gone through a rinse cycle where both the tires and the pavement are wet. With a powerful enough engine and/or a light enough car, you'll probably just drift sideways a bit at first, then fishtail wildly before plowing into the side of the carwash. Lots of fun for the onlookers, at least; not so much for the driver.
Other than that, this idea is completely sound and gets my bun.-- ytk, Sep 23 2012 Excellent adventure!-- blissmiss, Sep 23 2012 I'll have to remember not to engage the flux capacitor in my DeLorean when I push it above 88 mph in the *dry* cycle! All that water from the car wash could cause problems when it freezes up upon re-entry.-- Canuck, Sep 23 2012 <Luke>
"This is Red Five; I'm going in !"
</Luke>
[+]-- 8th of 7, Sep 23 2012 You wouldn't have the gigawatts!-- rcarty, Sep 23 2012 Love it! [+]-- xandram, Sep 24 2012 //"This is Red Five; I'm going in !" //
A Star Wars reference?!
Ah ha, Mr. So-called Borg, I see you've finally revealed your true nature. I will henceforth always picture you stroking a white Persian cat as you Halfbake (although to tell you the truth, I secretly did that anyway).-- ytk, Sep 24 2012 Actually, it's a fuzzy little doggy.-- Alterother, Sep 24 2012 random, halfbakery