A German company, Loremo, is developing a concept vehicle that promises to deliver 157 mpg (1.5l/100km), by using a very small, two cylinder diesel engine, in combination with a light-weight steel structure and a low drag coefficient. The total weight of the car is 450kg (992 lbs), and has a number of interesting design aspects, all focused on what is essentially needed for driving, and doing away with extravagant equipment. Obviously, everyone’s definition of extravagant is different, and some might call this car Spartan. For example, the usual set of two or four doors is replaced by a single front gate, which swings forward. Getting in to the car is compared to getting in to a bathtub. The website lacks details, and many of the ideas will require significant refinement, but I applaud the effort to try and get back to the essence of transportation, and the focus on reducing weight to improve efficiency. The company believes they will have the cars available by 2009, at an affordable cost of about 11,000 Euro.

[Source: Loremo website]