Wooden horsepower

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Yes, we all know the old joke about the car with wooden wheels and wooden doors and a wooden engine (punchline? Wooden go...), but the idea of a tree-based car isn't as quite as stupid as it first sounds. Quite.

This is the Splinter, a design project by Joe Harmon at the North Carolina State University. It's a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive supercar that, says Harmon, could theoretically top 240mph.

And it's made of wood. Laminated wood veneer monocoque chassis, wooden suspensions and wheels, wooden body panels.

Why? "Wood is a truly amazing material to work with," says Harmon. "It has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than aluminum or steel, and it possesses a versatility that makes many different types of construction techniques possible."

But we know what you're visualising. A romantic blaze of wooden supercar, crackling merrily in the hearth.

"People are so caught up in thinking that the wood will burn or crack or splinter," says Harmon. "The way we use wood is almost identical to the way carbon fiber and fiberglass are used, so there is really nothing to be afraid of."

And those 240mph claims? Though Harmon concedes it's a hypothetical figure based on projected horsepower, weight and gearing, it sounds feasible. The Splinter is powered by a 4.6-litre aluminium V8 with a pair of Roots-style superchargers, said to be good for at least 600bhp.

However, Harmon says that the Splinter is unlikely ever to reach production. Instead, he hopes it will inspire bigger manufacturers to incorporate wood into their cars. We look forward to the Mercedes Beech-Class, Renault Clioak and the Proton Balsatria Neo in the near future. We're above Subaru Forester jokes, naturally.