XJ - 6 airspeeder / Legends The XJ - 6 airspeeder was a custom - built airspeeder fashioned to Senator Simon Greyshade ' s elitist and performance - driven tastes . Using a prefabricated kit produced by Narglatch AirTech , the senator ' s personal mechanics designed and built the custom airspeeder . The XJ - 6 was constructed with exotic materials and incorporated advanced systems into its design , including an inertial compensator — typically only used in space - bound craft . Two prominent , oversized turbofan engines at the fore of the craft provided immense power to the XJ - 6 , and an electrogravitic gyro flywheel allowed the craft to make abrupt turns without requiring traction . The souped - up speeder also sported a custom yellow paint job . Greyshade used the speeder both as a luxury transport as well as a racing vehicle in Coruscant ' s airspeeder races . The airspeeder gained attention in 22 BBY after its apparent theft outside of the Senate Apartment Complex . Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker appropriated the speeder to rescue his Master , Obi - Wan Kenobi , as the latter plummeted through the Coruscant skylanes . Once Kenobi was saved , the two Jedi took turns piloting the XJ - 6 airspeeder as they pursued the bounty hunter Zam Wesell through the cityscape following her failed assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala . After the chase had ended , Coruscant authorities tracked the XJ - 6 to Vos Gesal Street , over a hundred kilometers from its original parking spot in the Senate District . Reymet Autem , son of a Senate Guard who worked with Greyshade , was initially charged with the theft , but the airspeeder was clandestinely returned to its spot in the lot of 500 Republica before charges could be filed . The authorities never discovered the true thief , much to Greyshade ' s disdain , and he vowed to find the party responsible . Description . Built for sport . Senator Simon Greyshade commissioned his mechanics to build a hot - rod airspeeder using a prefabricated kit produced by Narglatch AirTech . The resulting open - top , designated as an XJ - 6 airspeeder and wholly unique to other vehicles , took Greyshade ' s mechanics years to design and build and contained several features intended to show off the senator ' s passions for both speed and luxury . The airspeeder was flown by a lone pilot , with the design including a secondary passenger seat situated beside the pilot ' s . This catered to the senator ' s desire for privacy while escorting others , ranging from fellow senators and influential politicians to his latest female companion . The design of the aircraft itself was similar to Greyshade ' s B69 Elektra airspeeder , including the structure and placement of the forward - mounted engines . Exotic metal alloys , condensed - matter composite , and a number of other metals made up the main body of the craft , which measured 6 . 23 meters long , 2 . 66 meters wide , and 1 . 4 meters tall . The front bumper was specifically designed to distribute forces evenly across the craft to prevent any harmful structure vibrations . Due to this structural composition , the XJ - 6 had a relatively low mass — 1 , 600 kilograms — which allowed it to move quickly and reliably maintain the momentum that the massive engines created . Electrogravitic gyro flywheel s located toward the rear of the XJ - 6 airspeeder allowed the craft impressive feats of maneuvering at sharp angles uncommon to air vehicles of its class . These flywheels also allowed the XJ - 6 airspeeder to turn without traction or aerodynamic influence . A pair of flaps , located on the underside of the speeder , assisted in braking and turning . An inertial compensator , generally only found in space - bound craft , was utilized to keep pilot and passenger safe from the effects of these harsh maneuvers . Despite the existence of equipment used in spacecraft installed in the XJ - 6 , it was unable to travel into deep space . In addition to the inertial compensator , riders were held in the craft ' s seats by a pair of miniature tractor units . The speeder ' s exterior was dominated by the over - scaled engines in the craft ' s fore as well as the striking curves in the hull design of the aft compartment . Two running boards , one on each side of the airspeeder , spanned the distance from the fore engine bay to the seats located in the midsection of the craft . Between the engines and the cockpit , a sloped hull section contained the ship ' s steering controls and thruster ducts and was topped by a short windscreen . The airspeeder ' s engine exhausts and electrogravitic gyro flywheel assemblies were concealed by the curvaceous nature of the rear hull section . Headrests for the vehicle ' s occupants were built into the aft hull , each respectively located just above the top of the speeder ' s two seats . The sweeping underside of the XJ - 6 featured two thin , ridged strips , colored gray , running parallel from the fore to the aft of the airspeeder . The airspeeder was painted yellow , the color customary to all of the senator ' s vehicles . Both Greyshade and Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker described the speeder ' s color as " gonzo . " Dull green and orange accented the yellow and were scattered throughout the craft ' s paint scheme , and the airspeeder ' s interior , including the dual seats , was predominantly dark brown . Both rear fins of the craft sported racing stickers , which revealed racing venues Greyshade had visited during his after - hours activities . Airspeeder amenities . The low profile of the XJ - 6 ' s windscreen forced both pilot and passenger to sit low , and a powerful sound system occupied a space on the dashboard for the senator ' s enjoyment . A set of piloting controls that included a gear selector and two joysticks to control direction sat above the port - side seat , and an eight - speed combination thrust control was fixed between the pilot and passenger seats . Communications gear sat behind the driver and passenger , between the two headrests built into the hull . The high - power antennas in the communications suite allowed Greyshade to communicate with fellow lawmakers and other contacts while in the airspeeder . Dual low - beam lights flanking the engines lit the speeder ' s way , and a combination longer - range widebeam light and collision scanner mounted on the front bumper kept the pilot aware of obstacles in the flight path . An electric field system ensured that oncoming objects , such as flying insects and debris , were repulsed from striking the craft . However , the possibility remained for objects to pass through this field . Items that breached the field posed a risk to the exposed engines . In addition , the construction of the XJ - 6 airspeeder allowed it to pass through the discharge of two power coupling prongs unscathed , though riders were not as well protected . On the rear of the craft , tucked in various places on the shapely rear plating , were a number of red braking lights . These lights illuminated upon the craft ' s deceleration , indicating to other drivers that the XJ - 6 was slowing down . The XJ - 6 lacked any sort of offensive capability , such as blaster cannons , forcing those piloting the craft to rely on the vehicle ' s speed and agility in any altercations . To ensure the speeder ' s protection from theft , movement sensors were installed . If they were tripped , an alarm would go off , notifying Greyshade and any bystanders of the illegal action . However , this security system was vulnerable to a technologically - adept thief . A tracking device was built into the speeder in case the craft was ever lost . Described as hyper - accurate , the tracking device allowed Coruscanti authorities to locate the speeder a mere thirty minutes after it had disappeared . Engines . In addition to its distinct paint scheme , the yellow hot - rod airspeeder was also recognizable due to the custom , dual turbofan engines fitted in the front of the craft . These two engines , running on Deuterium fuel and capable of producing thirty megawatt s of power , were originally built to be used in groups of fifty for the colossal seventh - stage bank - courier repulsor - truck s of Aargau . They eventually came into Greyshade ' s possession , and he had his mechanics install them into the XJ - 6 airspeeder and modify the already powerful engines to further utilize their potential . The immense weight of the engines required a dedicated repulsorlift engine . The original cowlings were removed to allow easy modifications , repair , and tweaking . A cold - start generator allowed the XJ - 6 to start up almost immediately without the warm - up period standard in vehicles of its class . The oversized engines could reach speeds up to 720 kilometers per hour with an acceleration of seventy G and operated much like two Podracer engines in function and ability due to their stance on the craft . This stance also minimized the craft ' s width , granting the speeder good clearance for tight maneuvers . The engines were expensive , gaudy , and displayed Greyshade ' s tastes in expensive and overpowered devices . In appearance , the engines were common to another speeder owned by the senator , a customized B69 Elektra . The twin engines functioned by drawing air into the forward turbines , which fed into the compression chambers . This air was over - pressurized due to the exposed turbofans and was then forced through ignitions and narrow ducts situated in the sidewalls and undercarriage of the craft at incredible speeds . The air continued to travel to the rear thrusters after passing through another set of afterburner centrifuges . An internal shutter system acted as a braking mechanism to stop , slow , and precisely maneuver the craft , working in conjunction with the flywheels in the aft of the aircraft . Debris , such as a flag , proved a possible hazard to the engines by dropping the power output , as the turbofan assembly was highly exposed . History . The senator ' s need for speed . Simon Greyshade lived on Coruscant by 23 BBY after replacing his assassinated cousin as senator of the Vorzyd sector in the Galactic Senate . An airspeeder hobbyist and racing enthusiast , the senator used his position ' s power and wealth to commission the construction of a luxury personal transport for use while on Coruscant . Using a modification kit produced by Narglatch AirTech , Greyshade ' s personal mechanics took months to perfect the resulting craft , the XJ - 6 airspeeder , to Greyshade ' s exacting specifications . Additionally , its coloration , unique to Greyshade ' s vehicles , had taken years to develop . The speeder incorporated an array of exotic metals and components , two oversized engines providing the XJ - 6 with incredible power , and a flywheel system responsible for the quick turns and sharp ascents and descents for which the craft ' s profile called . The mechanics even installed an inertial compensator to shield both pilot and passenger from the craft ' s harsh maneuvers and blinding speeds . After construction , the speeder was painted Greyshade ' s customary yellow — common to all of his vehicles . Greyshade used the custom hot rod in after - hours races through the cityscape of Coruscant with his legislature colleagues . He showed off his prowess with the racing stickers plastered on the rear fins of the craft . In fact , his constant use of the XJ - 6 airspeeder convinced fellow senator Bail Prestor Organa of Alderaan to purchase and construct the Narglatch Airtech XJ - 2 airspeeder for personal use . Greyshade often kept the XJ - 6 in a speeder dock of the Senate Apartment Complex , where he held a designated parking spot . Chase through Coruscant . Shortly before the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY , Simon Greyshade ' s airspeeder became an instrumental factor in the pursuit of fugitive bounty hunter Zam Wesell , whose failed attempt on the life of Senator Padmé Amidala prompted investigation . After the discovery of the presence of an ASN - 121 assassin droid outside the window of Amidala ' s apartment in the Senate Apartment Complex , Jedi Knight Obi - Wan Kenobi attempted to pursue the attacker by grabbing hold of the droid as it exited the premises . Rather than follow his Master out the window into the Coruscant skylanes , Padawan Anakin Skywalker opted to retrieve an airspeeder from a speeder dock located several levels below Amidala ' s apartment . Assessing the available options , Skywalker chose Greyshade ' s XJ - 6 airspeeder , as it was the only convertible speeder on the lot . Using a combination of technical knowledge and the Force , Skywalker disabled the security countermeasures installed by Greyshade ' s mechanics and took off in pursuit of Kenobi , still hanging from the escaping assassin droid . Breaking Jedi policies on airship piloting , Skywalker pushed the craft ' s engines to catch up to his Master , who was plummeting through the skylanes of Galactic City , as Wesell had shot the ASN - 121 droid in an attempt to lose the Jedi investigator . Skywalker relied on the XJ - 6 airspeeder ' s impressive speed and maneuverability as he placed the craft into a near - vertical dive in order to reach the free - falling Kenobi . Once Kenobi landed safely in the speeder ' s passenger seat , Skywalker piloted the craft to follow Wesell ' s " Koro " - 2 airspeeder . The chase grew more intense as the two speeding craft made their respective ways through Coruscant ' s bustling traffic and maze of buildings , each narrowly evading oncoming vehicles . During the pursuit , Skywalker hit a flag , which caught in one of the engines , but Kenobi removed the object to prevent adverse affects to the speeder . Both Skywalker ' s piloting skills and the vessel ' s integrity were tested as Wesell led the Jedi into The Works , a large industrial area of Coruscant near the Senate District . Intending to use the lack of protection offered by the XJ - 6 airspeeder ' s open cockpit against her Jedi pursuit , Wesell passed between large smokestacks spewing toxic fumes and flames with the Jedi following closely behind . As a pair of power coupling prongs , sabotaged by a blaster bolt from Wesell , began discharging electricity , Skywalker flew through them . The XJ - 6 was unscathed , attesting to its craftsmanship and ability , but the Jedi piloting the craft were not so fortunate and suffered electrical shocks that , without the assistance of the Force , would have induced heart attacks . The tight passageways and many environmental hazards of The Works took a toll on Skywalker , and he lost control of his maneuvering briefly enough for the airspeeder to graze a number of objects and stall . Skywalker managed to restart the speeder — now smoking slightly , with flames coming out of the dashboard — and again pursued the assassin . Once out of The Works , Skywalker left the safer confines of the speeder to confront the assassin by free - falling through the skylanes to land directly on Wesell ' s airspeeder . With Skywalker and Wesell wrestling for control of the assassin ' s craft , Kenobi took over piloting of the XJ - 6 airspeeder and continued to follow the " Koro " - 2 . Kenobi tracked Wesell closely enough to catch Skywalker ' s lost lightsaber , which was thrown from Skywalker ' s grasp during his struggle . Eventually , the skirmish between the Padawan and the assassin resulted in a crash - landing . Kenobi circled the crash area before parking the XJ - 6 near the Outlander Club on Vos Gesal Street . Once the Jedi pair reunited , the two proceeded to track the assassin into the Outlander , leaving the XJ - 6 parked on the street . Once the Jedi found Wesell amongst the club patrons , they apprehended her . However , before Wesell could be brought back and questioned , her employer , the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett , killed her . Aftermath . Coruscanti officials found the vehicle shortly thereafter over 100 kilometers from its original position in the Senate District . Reymet Autem , son of a Senate security guard employed by Greyshade , was initially charged with the theft of the speeder . However , before any charges could be filed against the twenty - year - old , the XJ - 6 disappeared from the crime scene . It reappeared in the Senatorial speeder barn at 500 Republica , where Greyshade had a luxurious apartment and held a designated speeder stall . While Coruscant Security Force officer Wets Tranoj blamed the premature return on " rookie error , " it was actually Skywalker and Kenobi who returned the speeder . Greyshade never discovered who had stolen his airspeeder , which left the senator fuming . Sometime later , he relayed the events to Anakin Skywalker at a state dinner . Greyshade vowed that he would find the thief , unaware that the culprit was right in front of him . Skywalker only commented that the speeder must have been taken by a skilled individual to have evaded detection . Though designed as a one - of - a - kind vessel , the XJ - 6 airspeeder was later mass - produced and made available to spacers during the Galactic Civil War . Behind the scenes . Flying in style . The XJ - 6 airspeeder was originally featured on StarWars . com in June 2001 in a behind - the - scenes article detailing the creation of the speeder as part of the lead up to . The XJ - 6 made a cameo appearance in the December 2001 video game " " , which featured the speeder on an in - game billboard . The speeder later featured in " Attack of the Clones " in 2002 during the chase scene that began Obi - Wan Kenobi ' s quest to locate Zam Wesell ' s employer and Kenobi ' s eventual discovery of the Republic ' s clone army on the planet Kamino . The airspeeder ' s features , including its connection to Senator Simon Greyshade , were first described briefly by the April 2002 reference book " " . The 2003 book " The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels " was the first source to provide the airspeeder ' s designation . Creating a hot rod . Both the XJ - 6 airspeeder and the chase through Coruscant , as depicted in " Attack of the Clones " , were based mostly on " Star Wars " creator George Lucas ' s love of classic vehicles . For the pivotal chase scene , a team of art designers was asked to create a hot - rod airspeeder with a distinct style . Concept artist Jay Shuster created the original design of the XJ - 6 airspeeder mere minutes before a meeting to determine the airspeeder ' s design . Though the decision was unexpected , Lucas chose this design over numerous other choices . Shuster supposed that Lucas saw Anakin Skywalker ' s Podracer , featured in the 1999 film , in the design , which influenced his decision . By Lucas ' s own admission , the speeder also bears a strong resemblance to a car driven by character John Milner in Lucas ' s 1973 film , " " . Lucas selected the yellow paint scheme minutes after selecting the XJ - 6 ' s design ; the yellow was chosen because , as Shuster recalled , it mimicked the coloration of the hot rod Harrison Ford ' s character Bob Falfa drove in " American Graffiti " . Both Shuster and Design Director Doug Chiang were responsible for many of the final design features of the XJ - 6 , including the speeder ' s convertible nature ; the exposed , souped - up engines ; and even the striking yellow color scheme , intended to make the craft stand out in a nighttime Coruscant sky . With the basic design chosen , concept modeler John Goodson created a scale model to further fill out the speeder ' s details . The production model shop team , led by Peter Wyborn , built both the XJ - 6 and " Koro " - 2 models for filming . The XJ - 6 was then mounted to a set of highly flexible rigging , created by special effects supervisor Dave Young , to recreate the banks and pitch of a craft in flight . Actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen , playing Obi - Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker , respectively , were filmed interacting with the full - scale model . The two spent hours performing maneuvers as the cameras rolled . In addition to the realistic model , Industrial Light & Magic created an extensively detailed computerized version of the speeder to assist in filming . Long after filming was complete , sound designers Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood developed the distinctive noise of the XJ - 6 to be used in the final film .