Hohenester Audi A4 sets fastest car world record for biogas powered vehicle

Several attempts have been made at this but this is the first successful one. A modified Audi A4 has become the fastest biogas-fuelled car on record. Biogas has an octane rating of between 120 and 140 which means a lot more motive power than your average premium pump gas. Behind the fast wheel was German racer and tuner Jürgen Hohenester. Hohenester was able to pilot the car to a top speed of 364.6km/h (226.55 mph) at the Papenburg race track in Lower Saxony, Germany. The record has been approved by Guinness World Records.

Powered by the old 2002 Audi B5 S4's V6 engine but with capacity increased from 2.7-litre to 3.0-litre, the A4 Hohenester Sport or HS 650 is said to be only 20km/h faster than the previous record holder in this category, a Bugatti Veyron.

Under normal conditions the HS 650 is capable of chucking out over 800hp (588kW) but for structural preservation purposes it was limited to 700hp (515kW). That is quite a far cry from the 265hp (195kW) that the 2.7-litre biturbo used to make in its prime.

The record has proven that biogas can be a real alternative to fossil fuels, said Dr. Behrning of TÜV Rheinland. The next target is an overall win at the Tuner Grand Prix in Hockenheim.