Wednesday 16th April 2003
Volkswagen revealed the world’s most economical road car. The prototype consumed just 0.99 litres of diesel per 100 km – or 285 mpg.The 1-litre car was powered by a single-cylinder diesel engine, centrally positioned in front of the rear axle and combined with an automated direct shift gearbox. The crankcase and cylinder head of the 0.3-litre engine (299 cc) were of an aluminium monobloc construction. The naturally aspirated, direct-injection diesel engine employed advanced high-pressure unit injection technology to generate 8.5 bhp at 4,000 rpm. This gave the vehicle, which weighed just 290 kg, an astonishingly lively temperament.
