Ferrari debuts flex fuel F430 Spider at International Auto Show; carmaker aims to cut overall emissions by 40 percent by 2012

Ferrari said that it has developed an E85 capability for its F430 Spider, and demonstrated the car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car maker has set a goal of cutting its average emissions by 40 percent by 2012.

High-performance autos and and race cars have had a strong association with ethanol.

In New Zealand, the Toyota Racing Series adopted E85 ethanol as its racing fuel.Auto racing officials noted that under racing conditions, the E85 blends are showing reduced emissions, increased power and torque over conventional fuels.

The ruling body of Formula One racing recently banned further investment in F1 engines, and required teams to invest in developing hybrid engines or other more environmentally-friendly engine technologies. Formula One had previously mandated that 5.75 percent of fuel used in F1 racing come from renewable sources.

The Indy Racing League runs on 100 percent ethanol, while General Motors was been in the news late last year encouraging NASCAR to switch to biofuels.

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