When your mom told you that greens were good for you, she was telling the truth. Greens happen to be so good, you can even make a racing car out of the stuff. Eco One, the one-seater racing car built by Warwick University experts, managed to race at a speedy 150 mph, and that's with a fuel made of fermented wheat and sugar beet.

Check out the materials used on this almost-edible roadster: Tires made of potato starch, body created from pulped hemp reinforced with resin and rape seed oil, brake pads made out of ground cashew nut shells, and oil made out of plants. The list of materials almost sound as if they came from a salad recipe.

Designed by Dr. Kerry Kirwan, a researcher from Warwick University, and assembled by Ben Wood, a student, the Eco One is just one among many industrial solutions created by Warwick University's academic department, the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). The car was built at a budget of UK£ 20,000, or roughly US$ 40,000.

The car is powered by a Triumph Daytona motorcycle engine, which enabled the car to do 0-62 mph in under four seconds. Wood, who also created the materials for the Eco Car, said "If we can build a high-performance car that can virtually be grown from seed, just imagine what's possible for the average family car."

WMG is now working on getting potential collaborators who may help them in developing the technology, and Zoe Howard, head of communications for WMG, said that they have spoken to many people within the sports industry. They managed to spot some individuals who were willing to give their help on the project. She added:

The motor sports industry knows it's got to be greener. And the concept is transferable into cars for the race track or the motorway. The main message is how cutting edge technology is making high performance-eco-friendly cars a reality, helping dispel the myth that 'green' cars are slow and sluggish.

With Eco One being 95 percent biodegradable and recyclable, it's safe to say that its very possible that the future of motoring can be greener and safer for the environment without having to cut down on its performance.

Whenever we eat mashed potatoes and roasted cashew nuts, it never occurred to us that what we got from our food could someday turn into car parts. But this is exactly the idea that an engineering doctorate at the University of Warwick, and his team, had in mind.

Ben Wood, project manager of WMG (a provider of innovative solutions to industry) tweaked an original racing car engine to make it more bio-friendly. Called Eco One, the racing car has tires made from potatoes, and brake pads from cashew nut shells. It also runs entirely on bio-fuels and bio-lubricants.

Wood says that almost everything on the car can be made out of biodegradable or recyclable materials. "All the plastic components can be made from plants and, although the chassis has to be made from steel for strength, steel is a very recyclable material." They had the shell, brake pads, fuel and tires of the car sorted. Wood relates that his aim is to race a car that is 95 percent biodegradable or recyclable.

The car was originally designed with a top speed of 125 MPH, and Ben claims he can achieve up to 150 MPH, given a long and straight tail wind. Eco One will be at the Sexy Green Car Show alongside green offerings from major names in the motor industry at the Eden Project in Cornwall from Friday.