Back in November, 2007, I told you about a truck that was running from London, England to Timbuktu in Africa on chocolate-based biodiesel (see my post from Nov. 27, 2007). While that trip was built for endurance, the latest effort in the chocolate-biodiesel world is made for speed.
This story from TG Daily says researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK have now built a Formula 3 racing car capable of taking corners at 125 mph… running on biodiesel made from chocolate:
The car meets all Formula 3 racing standards except for its biodiesel engine, which is configured to run on fuel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. Formula 3 cars currently cannot use biodiesel. The team hopes to enter it in some sort of race soon, though, said [project manager James] Meredith.
Components made from plants form the mainstay of the car’s make up, including a race specification steering wheel derived from carrots and other root vegetables, a flax fibre and soybean oil foam racing seat, a woven flax fibre bib and plant oil-based lubricants.
The biodiesel engine is configured to run on fuel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. It also incorporates a radiator coated in a ground-breaking emission destroying catalyst.
In the future, the team plans on building more chocolate-biodiesel vehicles, including regular passenger cars, boats and maybe even Formula One racing cars.
But you gotta wonder… what is it with these Brits trying to run their cars on chocolate?