Monday 11 May 2009

Miles To The Gallon Or Gallons To The Mile?

10,651 miles to the gallon, that is what the winner of this eco race claimed it could do, but there are a few drawbacks, You would have to drive lying on your back in a space no bigger than a coffin, and you’ll be using a pair of old mountain bike handlebars to steer while looking through a porthole-sized windscreen at your feet, the "race" (top speed about 18 M.P.H.) was won by St Joseph La Joliverie from Nantes, in France, in their car Microjoule, their prototype internal-combustion car proves it is capable of covering an astonishing 2,343 miles or 3,771km on a single litre of petrol, or put another way, the distance between London and Sydney, Australia, half way round the world, but even that fails to beat the world record set by a Swiss team of 2,384 miles in 2005, each team “races” 15.5miles around a track in Lausitz, Germany, experts at the annual Shell Eco-Marathon then compare their total fuel economy to calculate the distance each vehicle would be able to travel on just one litre of fuel, more than 40,000 students from 30 nations have taken part since the challenge began a quarter of a century ago, well that's all very interesting, but now lets get seriously serious,
this is more like it! if I want to go by car anywhere I want to get there fast, that is why I go by car and do not walk! so I will have one of these please, it is a Bugatti Veyron and in the words of Jeremy Clarkson, utterly, stunningly, jaw droopingly brilliant, yours for only £810,000, a top speed of 253 M.P.H. and it accelerates 0-62mph in just 2.5sec, for the technical, engine 7993cc, 16 cylinders in a W, power 1001bhp @ 6000rpm, torque 922 lb ft @ 2200rpm, transmission 7-speed DSG, manual and auto, fuel 11.7mpg (combined) but at top speed it is more a question gallons per mile!
again the words of Jeremy Clarkson, "It is a triumph for lunacy over common sense, a triumph for man over nature and a triumph for Volkswagen over absolutely every other car maker in the world."
so the choice is, now let me see, er the Bugatti! what you really thought I was going to say the eco car?

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