In pictures: The 300kph jet-fuel cars racing in Dubai

Police have seized two 4x4 cars that were using aviation fuel to race on public roads at more than 300kph. The pair of Nissan Patrols had been illegally modified by garages to allow them to run on the high-octane fuel.

Police believe the races were organised by the garages to promote their modification services. The cars raced for about 3 kilometres on the road to Sharjah on the Dubai bypass at about midnight on December 6, watched by the occupants of about 25 other cars.

Most motor fuel has a maximum octane rating of 100, but aviation fuel can have a rating of up to 145. Standard car engines cannot handle the greater compression required, but they can be modified.

Police believe several Dubai garages are selling the aviation fuel for between Dh45 and Dh67 a litre. The garages who modified the seized vehicles had installed additional petrol tanks and connected them to the engine.

The vehicles were confiscated after they were put back on the tow-truck after the race. Up to the end of November of this year, 69 people had been caught racing on Dubai roads. Last year, 82 people were apprehended.