October 2018 Golf Cart of the Month
Check out the Hoonigan Shop in Long Beach, CA. They just completed building what could be the fastest golf cart in the world. It is equipped with a 750cc 2-stroke engine taken from a snowmobile that is tucked in where the batteries used to live under the seat. This puppy can send you flying down the fairways like a hungry cheetah with its 100 horsepower. I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like it.
The project started with a basic ParCar golf cart powered by electricity. Very little of that original cart survived the transition. Countless hours were spent finding or building the right parts to put the Player Special together. Hoonigan shot video of the entire process which we followed back in April of this year. When you create something for the first time, there are constant adjustments that need to be made to have everything work together and to make the cart safe to drive. There was a lot of trial and error to get to the final product, but the craftsmen on the Hoonigan team were the perfect group to pull it off.
Two key elements that were conquered were engine cooling and heavy-duty brakes needed to stop this golf rocket. The cooling problem was solved by adding a second water pump and designing a venting system for the engine enclosure. To stop this monster on a dime, special disc brakes were configured. In addition, the body panels were completely painted “bad boy black” accented by gold pin striping and logos.
To make the cart look good even when it is standing still, special alloy wheels were added and then balanced to the frame to allow the speed without creating a safety risk. In addition, a high-quality stereo system was mounted to surround the golfers with their favorite tunes. Look at the pictures and you’ll see why the Player Special is a showstopper.
Seat belts were a necessity because of the incredible acceleration and the top speed. The raw power literally throws you back in the seat when you get your foot into it. I don’t think I can name another cart where you can burn rubber, but the Player Special makes it possible.
As with every high-performance vehicle, this cart must be driven with great care and a recognition of driving conditions (like trees, sand traps and water hazards) to make sure you don’t get too far over your skis. Lots of speed requires total focus to keep things under control and enjoy the fastest round ever played. If you’re ready for the Hoonigan Player Special, check out their website for more details. Then belt yourself in and satisfy your need for speed.
