Biogas-Powered World Record Set on Dunlop Rubber

Achieving speeds of 327.5 km/h (204.7 mph), the Hohenester-tuned biogas Audi A4 Quattro equipped with Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tyres has set a new world speed record. The TÜV Rheinland-organized record attempt took place at the proving ground in Papenburg, Germany, and demonstrates the performance abilities of climate neutral fuels.

In breaking high-speed record Hohenester used biogas extracted from field grass. With an octane number between 120 and 140 ROZ the alternative fuel offers higher numbers than conventional fuels. “High speed tuning and ecological aspects don’t have to exclude each other,” believes the record-breaking driver, Jürgen Hohenester. “This Audi A4 is a prototype, which proves how powerful these new fuel technologies can be already today.”

Hohenester opened the 2.7-litre, six-cylinder Audi RS4 engine to three litres and increased the 380 hp of the series-production engine to 580 hp. Dunlop’s tuning experts decided to equip the car with its top performer, the SP Sport Maxx TT. The ultra-high performance tyre is equipped with DuPont Kevlar technology. It also features a motorsport derived compound with nanoparticles and what the company terms, “Touch Technology,” rendering it capable of handling such high speeds.

Adding Kevlar EE to the apex compound of the Sport Maxx TT creates a stiffer sidewall, which becomes more resistant to torsion, tension and heat and provides increased stability during cornering, as well as enhanced road feedback and more precision driving. The HS 650 Audi B7 Quattro was equipped with tyres in the size 235/40 ZR 18 (95Y) XL.