Italian car runs on fuel made out of plastic waste 

A legendary Italian automobile firm has revealed a new ‘hypercar’ that’s powered by fuel made out of plastic waste. 

The new Bertone GB110 uses ‘Select Fuel’, a patented method of converting waste polycarbonate materials, such as plastic bottles, into liquid fuel.

Bertone hasn’t revealed a price for the car, but says it will be ‘akin to a piece of art’ that allows a series of modifications to suit ‘unique tastes and identity’.

The limited edition run of 33 vehicles has been launched to mark Bertone’s 110th anniversary, but they won’t be delivered to customers until spring 2024 at the earliest. 

The Bertone GB110 (pictured here in an artistic render) is the first high performance car supplied with fuel made out of plastic waste

Bertone has revealed artistic renders of the vehicle showing off its design, suggesting the car itself is still being put together.  

‘The GB110 is continuing Bertone’s automotive legacy and is a contemporary interpretation of the Bertone DNA,’ said project and design manager Giovanni Sapio.

‘It’s paying homage to pioneering Bertone designs from the 50s and 70s, merging the soft, rounded lines of the 50s with 70s style sharp edges.’

Bertone was founded in 1912 by Italian automobile designer Giovanni Bertone, but the company went bankrupt in 2014. 

It became known for iconic designs such as the sharply angled ‘Italian wedge’ shape of the Lamborghini Countach. 

Earlier in 2022, brothers Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci acquired the rights to the brand and are reviving it, starting with the GB110. 

They claim it is the first high performance car that will be supplied with fuel made out of plastic waste.

‘We believe that de-pollution will require different solutions with combinations of technologies,’ said Jean-Franck Ricci, CEO of Bertone.

Select Fuel uses a patented process that converts cleaned and shredded plastics into liquid fuel. Renewable fuel can also be made from biomass, agricultural waste or municipal waste like grass clippings and food scraps

Bertone hasn’t revealed a price for the car, but it will be ‘akin to a piece of art’ that allows a series of modifications to suit ‘unique tastes and identity’

Bertone says the new car it pays homage to ‘pioneering Bertone designs from the 50s and 70s and has been ‘sculpted for a timelessly standout presence’

‘Plastic waste needs to be treated as a valuable resource. 

‘Through our partnership with Select Fuel we take what was once waste and convert it back into its original form.’

Select Fuel uses a patented process that converts cleaned and shredded plastics into liquid fuel. 

Renewable fuel can also be made from biomass (such as waste fats and oils), agricultural waste (crops like camelina or rapeseed) or municipal waste like grass clippings and food scraps. 

‘We recognise that plastic waste is a major environmental problem,’ Select Fuel says on its website. 

‘We have committed to developing technologies that convert polycarbonate materials into renewable and sustainable fuels.

‘With our cutting-edge advanced-plastics-to-fuel technology, Select Fuel products can be used in many different applications.

‘Our fuels are used in everything from the transportation industry and renewable aviation fuel to motorsport and high-end sports cars including the Bertone GB110.’ 

Aside from its unique source of power, the new vehicle also has other interesting features, the renders reveal. 

Bertone hasn’t revealed a price for the car, but it will be ‘akin to a piece of art’ that allows a series of modifications to suit ‘unique tastes and identity’

The car has a pair of scissor doors, which rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front, rather than outward as with a conventional door

According to the firm, the GB110 has a seven-speed gearbox and can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.79 seconds and hit a top speed of 236 miles per hour.

Like classic Bertone models, its wedge shape gives it advanced aerodynamics, allowing it to hit such impressive speed, although its sleek exterior shows the car ‘is not only about raw power and performance’. 

It also has a pair of scissor doors, which rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front, rather than outward as with a conventional door. 

Bertone has revealed artistic renders of the vehicle showing off its design, suggesting the car itself is still being put together

The limited edition run of 33 vehicles has been launched to mark Bertone’s 110th anniversary, but they won’t be delivered to customers until spring 2024 at the earliest

Potential buyers can sign up on the Bertone website to register their interest and receive more information about the Bertone GB110, which is the first in a series of new limited edition Bertone vehicles

The firm’s website says it pays homage to ‘pioneering Bertone designs from the 50s and 70s and has been ‘sculpted for a timelessly standout presence’. 

Those who are interested in purchasing the GB110 might have to get lucky, considering there will only be 33 units produced. 

Potential buyers can sign up on the Bertone website to register their interest and receive more information about the Bertone GB110, which is the first in a series of new limited edition Bertone vehicles. 

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