Green Ferrari F430 Spider unveiled at Detroit

When running on the more explosive E85 biofuel the Ferrari F430 Spider produces 493bhp and 356lb/ft of pulling power

Ferrari is making its rivals green with envy after unveiling an environmentally-friendly supercar at the Detroit Motor Show.

The Ferrari F430 Spider Biofuel is powered by the same 4.3-litre V8 engine but when running on the more explosive E85 biofuel  the Ferrari F430 Spider produces 493bhp and 356lb/ft of pull.

Biofuel is seen as a more environmentally friendly fuel as it is grown from crops such as rapeseed which absorb carbon from the atmosphere. It is made up of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol.

And cars running on biofuel also emit less carbon dioxide with the Ferrari’s emissions down a reported five per cent.

However, this means the Ferrari F430 Spider Biofuel will still emit a whopping 399g/km of carbon dioxide.

Biofuel-powered cars – which can also run on petrol – are becoming more prominent in the motoring world, with Saab now offering all its cars with the green option.

But biofuel-filling stations are still a rare site in the UK so motorists are more likely to use petrol than the greener alternative.

The Ferrari F430 is the latest in a recent line of ‘environmentally friendlier’ supercars with Audi unveiling the world’s first diesel supercar with the 187mph R8 in Detroit.

Last year Swedish carmaker Koenigsegg revealed its biofuel-powered CCXR – a £1 million 250mph+ monster.

And green buyers in the America can buy a Tesla Roadster, a Lotus-derived electric sports car with a sub-four second 0-60mph time and top speed of 125mph.