227 MPH Audi A4 beats Bugatti to set world record for fastest car powered by biogas
After a few earlier attempts were unsuccessful in setting an official record, Jürgen Hohenester, a German racecar driver and automotive tuner, has finally set a new world record for reaching the fastest speed ever recorded running a vehicle on biogas. Yes, Guiness has indeed been notified. Powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine that's been converted to run on the compressed gas, the silver Audi sedan was clocked at an impressive 226.55 mph (364.6 kilometers per hour). Previously, the record was held by a Bugatti that was reportedly 20 kph slower.Amazingly, the car reportedly wasn't even running at full capacity. It seems that this particular powerplant can reliably put out over 800 horsepower, but was dialed back a few notches to around 700 horsepower to keep the all-wheel-drive Audi's transmission from showering the Papenburg, Lower Saxony, race track with a pile of gear-shaped shrapnel. One key reason the powerplant was able to make such prodigious power is because biogas carries an octane rating of over 120. Us? we like to think it was down to the BBS-aping aerodynamic wheel covers. Click past the break for the awkwardly translated press release.
[Source: Hohenester Sport]
PRESS RELEASE:
Jürgen Hohenester sets a new world record: With a HS 650 Audi A4 Quattro he drove 364.6 km / h "with biogas."
What power brings biogas in the tank, the successful record with by the Company modified Hohenester Audi. The car drove on the test track in cardboard castle Niedersächsiches 364.6 km / h, surpassing the old world record with a Bugatti was up to nearly 20 km / h.
The world had gas for the Competence of TÜV Rheinland, and the VSS Saarbrücken initiated. A total of eleven were well-known companies for the implementation of enthusiasm.
"The world record with the Audi will be the theme for Earth and biogas awareness and show that biogas is a real alternative to fossil fuels," said Dr. Behrning by TUV Rheinland.
Biogas or natural gas must not be confused with Autogas (LPG) will be confused and is clearly superior to gasoline, high octane number of 120 to 140 resulting from a motor on the gas is trimmed with an extremely high efficiency.
Biturbo the expanded to 3.0 liters and is optimized for gas. The power of the HS 650 is not designed, so the performance was electronically limited to 700 hp.
The next target is the overall victory at the Tuner Grand Prix in Hockenheim is envisaged.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FitFan 1:01PM (5/28/2009)
That's very impressive. The Bugatti has an extra 300hp on tap (1001hp, I think) and looks (to my untrained eyes) to be more aerodynamic than the Audi. Is it safe to assume that the Audi has much taller gearing?
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Tman 2:31PM (5/28/2009)
227mph from 700hp sounds reasonable for a car with a cd of 0.27, My only question what aerodynamic tweaks were applied to this car to achieve the necessary downforce. The bugatti veyron has a boxy suv rivaling cd ranging from 0.36 for aero mode and 0.41 for handing mode. At such speeds, aerodynamics play a far greater roll than outright power.
FitFan 2:59PM (5/28/2009)
I wouldn't have guessed that the A4 had a cd as low as 0.27 or that the Veyron's was as high as 0.36. That certainly explains the top speed difference.
FitFan 3:03PM (5/28/2009)
I see now that they have most of the grill covered with a piece of clear plastic and they have a spoiler in front of the windshield wipers. And those fancy wheel covers help.
I need to apply some of these tricks to my car.
Mark0 3:18PM (5/28/2009)
The "biogas Bugatti" that the article refer to isn't a Veyron, but an older EB 110 with abouy 650cv in the biogas version.
Bye!
cWj 1:03PM (5/28/2009)
Man, those are some fast wheelcovers.
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downtoearth 1:44PM (5/28/2009)
So fast on fart gas, impressive!
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3PeaceSweet 4:11PM (5/28/2009)
If you had a plug in natural gas vehicle you could plug it in to both the gas and electric grids and act as a spinning reserve. There is as much power generating capacity in car engines as there are in power stations, with cars parked ~90% of the time you would always have a large reserve capacity connected even if it was rarely used.
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Rain 9:59PM (5/28/2009)
Sorry,Kids!
read 'em and weep:
http://www.shelbysupercars.com/news-100907.php
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Rambo 4:36PM (6/04/2009)
Trying reading the article next time.
"227 MPH Audi A4 beats Bugatti to set world record for fastest car POWERED BY BIOGAS"
Sure the SSC is faster than the Bugatti, but this is about the fuel used, not the car in and of itself.