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First responder's first point is the major key. Aerodynamics. Completely smooth underside, no "rain gutters" on the sides of the front windshield, windshield wipers that are out of the airflow when off, no excessive grille openings in front, kammback design at the very least, covers over the wheel wells in back and, ideally, in front as well. Boat-tail design would be even better, as the Aerocivic has demonstrated. And an engine and drivetrain that are designed in tandem to get the absolute best efficiency at a designated highway speed, 55 mph would be better but 65 mph is probably more practical, so, somewhere along that spectrum (about 90 to 105 kph).
I'm amazed at how many cars with a main selling point being high fuel economy, neglect the rear wheel covers and even a partial undertray (specifically under the engine bay and directing air smoothly past the front wheel wells). So easy to implement, without really compromising on appearance.
That FuelVapor car looks interesting. However, even though I'm not an expert in the least, it certainly seems like they've made some aerodynamic sacrifices purely for aesthetic reasons. And for an ideal highway cruiser, there could be a lot less power, especially with a small frontal area and low drag.
The Loremo looks like a pretty good candidate, with a 2-cylinder turbodiesel netting a reported 120 miles per US gallon. But even that doesn't have rear wheel skirts. I don't understand.
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