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Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet

Posted May 21, 2008 10:24 AM

From Wired Top Stories:

Among old-school gearheads, conventional wisdom is that gasoline is where the fun is, was and always will be (until the pumps run dry). Alternative-fuel automobiles -- hybrids, diesels, electrics and the like -- are dorky, cumbersome and slow. But a growing body of evidence suggests environmental consciousness doesn't have to mean boring. To wit: 10 cars -- funky, fun and each the fastest for its power source, from an American-built ethanol-fueled roadster that runs like the wind, to a three-seat urban buggy from France that runs on the wind.

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Guru

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#1

Re: Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet

05/22/2008 6:15 AM

Well!

Do you know that the humble wheelbarrow is one of, potentially, the fastest vehicles on the planet?

Driven by the most efficient of prime-movers, self scavenging, self healing, self propagating. Best use of fuel in -- work out.

No-one's ever had one flat-out.

Cheers,

Stu

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#2

Re: Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet

05/24/2008 10:25 PM

<"....Left: Here's proof that the farmer and the racer should be friends. Chicago-based mod shop SVS Power decided to demonstrate that when it comes to performance potential, premium-grade gasoline has nothing on corn-derived E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, currently available at close to 1,200 U.S. gas stations).

The company took a 2005 Dodge Viper roadster, upgraded its already-fearsome 8.3-liter V-10 with twin turbochargers, and modified the fuel and engine-management systems to run on ethanol. The result: a street-legal, 1200-horsepower animal that positively smashed the standing-mile speed record (which had belonged, coincidentally, to a highly modified, gasoline-powered Viper coupe).

Power: ethanol

Top Speed: 220.7 mph....">

That's one description only.

That car is definitely not green, but a stupid waste of time, effort, and food in the form of corn.

Kind Regards....

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Guru

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Location: "Springwood", North Tamborine Mountain. Qld. OZ.
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet

05/25/2008 6:19 AM

Yep! Sparky.

I have been looking at another 'performance' outfit recently. I advised Andy of Germany of it in the other blog.

Go to: weineck-power.de . Look at the 12litre Cobra.

Helluva ride, but, mind you, all things considered, I'd rather the wheelbarrow.????

Different, years ago when we were ignorant and wasteful.

We have e10 fairly freely availabe here in Aus. I use it in everything. We make our own biodiesel for the diesels. Biodiesel is available at the pump in only a very few places. 'Spensive.

I'd use all the ethanol I could if it were more available.

We've got a sugar cane industry which is telling us that it's on it's knees, but no-one is embracing the possibilities there much. I look to Brazil in envy.

Cheers,

Stu.

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#4
In reply to #3

Re: Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet

05/25/2008 5:46 PM

Hello Stueywright

There is one thing I can do with a wheelbarrow that you cannot do with that wheelbarrow: Wheel you in it.

Kind Regards....

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