Eco One Speedster future Grand Prix Racer: 95 per cent biodegradable

The Eco One Speedster has to be the greenest racing car around, and experts from Warwick University hope that it can be a regular at Grand Prix circuits. Dr Kerry Kirwan who designed the Eco One worked with student Ben Wood, who built the speedster, it took two months to build at a cost of £20,000.

The car has to be the greenest racer around and is capable of reaching 150MPH, so what makes it so green?
The tires are made partly from starch, this helps to improve fuel economy as the tires cause less friction with the road. I do not profess to know much about racing, but what I do know is the friction from tire to road gives you grip, this is what makes a racing car great, so how could this be good on a race track.

The bodywork has been made from pulped hemp, which is then injected with resign from the rape seed oil; this is then molded into the desired shape.

The fuel used to power the Eco One is made from fermented wheat and also sugar beet, and the oil has been made from plants.

One of the most important parts of a car has to be the brakes and this is where it gets strange, the brake pads are made from cashew nut shells which have been ground down and then blended to make a resign. The dust which comes off these pad do not harm the environment.

The power plant is an engine from a Triumph Daytona motor-cycle. As we said the car has a top speed of 150MPH and can go from 0-62 in under four seconds. The Eco One is 95 per cent biodegradable or recyclable

Kirwan has said that he has been speaking to many people in the motor sports industry, and some have expressed an interest in developing the technology.

To see the greenest racing car, visit the National Science Museum in London where the Eco One will be on display from August 28th to 30th.