Damox's Car Blog

If you thought hybrid cars could get impressive gas mileage, wait until you hear about people getting 59 miles per gallon on a regular gas engine without modifications.

Wayne Hobbit is clearly a bit of a quack. He drives a Honda Accord, a car that is economical with its gas but certainly isn't in the same league as a Civic Hybrid or a Toyota Prius. Or is it? As it turns out, it's not what you drive, but how you drive it. Hobbit does some very unusual things when he's driving his car that allows him to travel nearly 60 miles for each gallon of gas.

For starters, Hobbit doesn't even turn the car on until it's already rolling. He puts it in neutral and rolls down the hill that happens to be right below where he parks his car at night. He avoids gas guzzling activities like accelerating, speeding, and idling whenever possible.

Although I would not recommend going to the extremes of Hobbit, who has to push his car and jump in it while rolling to get the desired rolling start, we can learn a lot from his driving techniques. We waste a lot of gas by driving in a way that we don't have to. Anyone can implement a few of Hobbit's techniques and gain at least a few miles per gallon.
This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord.

Ford is looking at unprecedented demand for the Shelby GT500 Mustang, but that's not stopping them from making more limited-edition versions of their hot car. The Red Stripe Appearance Package is the same basic GT500 but with white paint and red stripes. I know it's just a sales gimmick, but this car looks amazing.

I found this spy shot of the next Audi R8. The V10 version of the R8 will be coming out next year as a 2009 model. I'm sure you'll be reading a lot more about this car in the future, as it looks to be a top contender among supercars, especially considering it's relatively low price when compared to competitors from Ferrari and Lamborghini.

The 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe made its debut at the New York International Auto Show this week. It improves on the original G Coupe with a bigger V6 engine, four wheel Active Steer System, and a refined interior. It's not as compact as before, but it does offer very sporty performance for a luxury car. Expect it to compete well with cars from BMW and Mercedes.
Fast-Autos.net | 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe - Information, Pictures, and Specifications

Rolls Royce has come out with their latest armored Phantom. These cars are designed for people who are not only fabulously rich, but also so important that they need to be protected from poor people trying to attack them.

It's only a matter of time before rich oil executives in the Middle East start driving these around, making them as common as a Pontiac Firebird in a trailer park.
Drive Line: Rolls-Royce Phantom Armoured

The Honda S2000 CR is a track-worthy special edition of the popular Honda roadster. Efforts were made to drop weight and increase performance, especially when turning and braking. Stiffer springs and dampers, larger sway bars, and a faster steering rack will all help make this the best Honda for getting around a track.

This Club Racer Edition of the S2000 will go on sale this fall, but production will likely be very limited.

The next X-Prize, which carries a monetary award of more than $10 million, will go to the first person/team who can develop a car that can get 100 miles on a gallon of gasoline. There is one catch: the car must be commercially viable. That means no complicated materials that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and none of those silly one-person pod cars that are unsafe and undesirable.

This type of prize could be just the thing to get the every-day hobbyist into engine research. Improving the efficiency for all cars is the goal of this type of contest. Let's hope somebody out there is smart enough to win the prize and perhaps save our oil supply.
Seeking a Car That Gets 100 Miles a Gallon - New York Times

I've got another picture of the next Subaru Impreza WRX sedan hatchback, and I've got to say, this is a remarkably ugly car. I love the way the current WRX looks, and it would be very disappointing if they turn it into this monstrosity. Where the ricer taillights really necessary?