Nitromethane - or CH3NO2-is one member of a family of explosive compounds that contain nitrogen and oxygen. The first documented use was in the mid-to-late-30s Auto Union Grand Prix and land speed record cars designed by Ferdinand Porsche. These were subsidized by the Nazis, who wanted to prove the superiority of German technology. The open-wheel racers had streamlined bodies and were decades ahead of their time, but most of the technology was lost when the Third Reich collapsed at the end of World War II. The last version built before the war was a 340ci (5,577cc) V12 with nonintercooled, two-stage Roots superchargers rated at 485 hp and 405 lb-ft. The fuel is believed to have been a mix of 85 percent nitromethane, 5 percent benzole, 5 percent acetone, and 5 percent castor oil, with fuel consumption around 2.5 miles per gallon. German racing driver Berndt Rosemeyer was killed in one of these cars when running 268 mph on the Autobahn in attempt to set a new world land speed record.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 08:45:49 +0000
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