The merry team of desconstructors at iFixit recently got their hands on an icon of viral marketing: the $400 Blendtec Total Blender of "Will It Blend?" video fame. And found it to be awesome.

Take, for example, the awesomely substantial rotor from the unit's 1560W motor, pictured above. It helps explain its ability to demolish snow skis, iPods, golf balls, hockey pucks, and small automobiles, but the teardown also reveals just how many other factors go into making a Blender to Rule Them All. A solid steel shaft to transmit all that torque. A clear-coated logic board to keep out moisture and goo. Speed-sensing electronics to keep the blade from seizing up.

All told, this is one of iFixit's more fascinating teardowns, and a nice reminder that physical guts still count more than marketing when something needs blending.

In case you need reminding, here's a classic, in which the iPhone 3G receives its comeuppance in super slo-mo glory:

See the whole highly detailed teardown here.