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.
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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.
For 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%.
