The WorldFirst Formula 3 racecar made with renewable and sustainable resources has received significant press in recent weeks.

One irresistible aspect of the car is that its biodiesel engine runs on biofuel made from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. The car was designed as a Formula 3 racecar, but unfortunately does not meet all of the Formula 3 standards because of its biodiesel engine.

It has been insinuated in the news that the chocolate-powered car is not only a high-performance vehicle, but a veritable rolling produce market. This car is steered with a polymer wheel derived from carrots, has a body with components containing potato starch and flax, and brake pads made with cashew nut shells.

Sporting a turbocharged 2.0-liter BMW turbo diesel engine, the WorldFirst designers hope that with their modifications the car will reach speeds of 144 mph. Their goal is 200 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. James Meredith, project manager for the chocolate car, claims performance wasn't sacrificed in creating the vehicle.

But to date, the WorldFirst has barely cracked 60 mph. The design team says that the car can accelerate from 0-62 in under 4 seconds, but this has not been independently verified. Raw footage of the chocolate car in action tells a different story. Far from tearing up the track, the vehicle appears to need some serious tuning in order to be competitive with a Toyota Prius, let alone a Formula 3 racecar.



Kudos to Meredith and the University of Warwick for creating a car that is fueled by a cleaner and novel energy source. But judging by the video, there’s still a long way to go.