Absolute Gadget

No, really. A Formula 3 car has been made out of vegetables. And it runs on chocolate. No, really.

The ecoF3 racing car, the first F3 car made out of eco-friendly materials, is the work of the WorldFirst team, based at Warwick University. The bodywork is a mixture of potato fibres and resins, the seat is good ol' fashioned soya beans and the steering wheel is made of carrots. It's got plant oil-based lubricants to grease its moving parts, and a biodiesel engine that can run on chocolate extracts and vegetable oil.

Sadly, the car can't compete in next season's championship because its unusual fuel means it doesn't meet race regulations.

Project manager James Meredith said, "It's been very exciting working on the project and important for our team to develop a working example of a truly green motor racing car.

"The WorldFirst project expels the myth that performance needs to be compromised when developing the sustainable motor vehicles of the future."

No, really.

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