Pulling a Fast One Efficiently

Has anyone else felt certain that the car companies have been fucking with us deliberately? That we could have been getting better mileage long ago if not for some secret agreement with oil companies to keep efficiencies low?

Engineer Gets 110 MPG Out Of '87 Mustang

Pelmear told television station WNWO that the car hasn't traded power for miles per gallon. Pelmear said the car has 400 horsepower, goes well over 100 mph and can go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds.

My '89 Firebird used to get 30mpg with an unmodified engine. Yet somehow I am supposed to believe that by making vehicles smaller, uglier, and less responsive they have managed to squeak that up to 35mpg in vehicles 20 years later.

Go to the story and watch the video. Pelmear claims the design is based off of his grandfather's idea from the 1940's! The vehicle was entered into the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize.