Ferrari has unveiled a concept car at Detroit that can run on E85 fuel, made from 85% bio-renewable ethanol, which cuts CO2 emissions and boosts power and torque.
The new car is a result of a programme to cut fuel consumption and emissions of Ferrari cars by 40% by 2012. It has already led to improvements in aerodynamics and weight savings.
The F430 Spider Biofuel is a result of technology developed to meet new regulations in Formula One that call for the use of biofuels.
In Formula One the level is 5.75%, while the FIA GT and American Le Mans series (ALMS) targets a 10% ethanol blend. The A1 GP championship, which uses Ferrari engines from this season, also requires a 10% blend.
All Ferrari cars can already use up to 10% ethanol (E10) without modification.
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By GlobalDataFor the F430 Spider Biofuel, modifications were made to the fuel feed system and engine CPU to enable the car to run on anything between pure petrol to an 85% blend with ethanol without changing the compression ratio, making it a true flexfuel vehicle.
The use of this type of biofuel and the modifications made have boosted power by 10bhp along with a 4% increase in torque yet overall weight is unchanged. CO2 emissions drop 5%.