Car gets 376mpg. Sets world record.

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Hybrids, meet your rival - this car gets over 376 miles per gallon. WOW!
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351 ... ource=mypi

Here's a picture of it: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/ph ... oID=174762
I bet that's not what you thought it would look like.

The car manufacturers who claim they can't make more fuel efficient cars or that it would be too expensive seem to be in bed with the oil companies.

And it's an American car made in the 50's too, Oh wow, I have to show that to some hybrid people.

I bet you it's a horrible thing to have to drive though. Not much fun.

Some thoughts after reading the article:

• chain drive -- either sprocket system like a bike or it works reasonably only at one speed -- interesting, but unlikely to be used in practice and it was never subjected to the rigors of practical situations (though I'd love to see all of us go over to it and where I get to watch all of us relearn driving with bicycle chain driven cars.)
• tested at only one speed, 30 MPH -- no one can drive like that in practice
• closed course -- likely dead flat and smooth as silk and designed for the super hard tires
• mass of the vehicle isn't so important driven in the circumstances they did, so don't get any ideas that a high mass vehicle is viable as a high mileage vehicle in typical use
• specialized super-hard, low-friction tires used -- probably not good for any general use
• I don't necessarily trust the circumstances when the record was set -- there may have been lying involved, or merely an incorrect understanding of how to account for things, and I saw nothing in the article documenting methodologies applied for the result... so it needs to be replicated, I think. Then maybe we have a realistic and supportable value for all these special circumstances.

It's still very interesting and the article mentioned one detail about the engine modifications, though sadly no more than that. The preheating and insulating of the fuel line. I wish they'd disclosed the other details, so that a fuller view would be possible. But also, that modification seems vastly easy enough to try out to see what benefits are achieved right away on existing vehicles and that might provide another approach to seeing if one of the principle concepts mentioned is really all it's cracked up to be, or not. The man who bought the car obviously has enough money to quickly test that idea. Too bad he didn't. I think it would make his purchase all the more valuable due to the new demonstration of techniques it contains, too.

Jon

One Word: DAMN!

Wonder if someone will try to
build a car that will receive 400 MPG?

I will. Downhill.

Jon