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Sweet ride in Coke and Mentos-powered rocket car

Why wouldn't I want to power a car with what powers me?

Matt Hickey
With more than 15 years experience testing hardware (and being obsessed with it), Crave freelance writer Matt Hickey can tell the good gadgets from the great. He also has a keen eye for future technology trends. Matt has blogged for publications including TechCrunch, CrunchGear, and most recently, Gizmodo. Matt is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. E-mail Matt.
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Matt Hickey

You've surely seen the Diet Coke and Mentos rockets that have been all over the Interwubs for the last couple of years. For those who haven't, a pair of intrepid scienticians demonstrated that dropping Mentos mints into diet cola causes a chemical reaction that shoots the foamy concoction out of the coke bottles in a fountain-like manner.

The same pair, who've been making the rounds at Maker Faires and other DIY events, this week posted this video of a custom tricycle-type vehicle that works along the same principle. It uses a piston drive to harness the power of 108 two-liter bottles of Coke Zero and 648 Mentos to propel the vehicle more than 200 feet.

Sure, it's not the fastest ride in the world, but we think this is a video of a Wright Brothers-like moment in science. In the near future, we'll all be driving around in eco-friendly Coke Zero-powered vehicles, leaving nothing but clean, tasty sugar substitute as a byproduct.