[The Toecutter]

Originally Posted by aerohead

When Dr. Michael Seal was running the automotive research at Western Washington University, their 'Viking' series of hand built cars were exploring this territory.
The numbers are for the taking!

I'm familiar and have read about them nearly 20 years ago when I was in college. They're not quite on the level of the aforementioned MG streamliner, but they're a massive improvement over anything the modern auto industry has put out let alone anything from back then! About 15 years ago I was compiling an article on fuel efficient cars from the 1930s onward, which never got completed or published, and I had all my sources of info saved from then. The links are likely defunct, but that's what archive.org is for.

Viking IV


The 1978 Viking IV was powered by a 1.5L 4-cylinder diesel from a Volkswagen Rabbit[1], producing 48 peak horsepower[2]. The car weighed a mere 1,250 lbs[3]. In 1981, the Viking IV was able to average 87.5 mpg during a rally that spanned the continental United States[4]. According to the car's builder, Professor Michael R. Seal, it was safe enough for the occupants to survive a 50 mph head on collision[4]. In 1982, the car was tested at the GM proving grounds and the Transportation Research Center of Ohio, yielding 73 miles per gallon at a steady 70 mph[4]. It was later upgraded to make use of low rolling resistance tires, a 5 speed transmission with overdrive, and a 1L, 3-cylinder turbo diesel. This allowed it to achieve 100 mpg at a steady 50 mph[5].

Viking VI


The Viking VI was built to achieve high fuel economy while exceeding the crash safety standards that were in place; it achieved 118 mpg at a steady 50 mph[5] .

Viking VII


The Viking VII took this concept even further, proving that high fuel efficiency, safety, and high performance could exist within the same vehicle. It was able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds, achieve over 1G on a skid pad, and still manage 50 mpg highway[5]. It was driven to a top speed of 186 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats[6]. It made use of a 4 cylinder DOHC Boxer engine which produced 133 horsepower. These features of high performance, adequate safety, and high fuel economy could coexist within the same vehicle due to a low drag coefficient of only 0.26, a small frontal area, a lightweight composite body, and an aluminum chassis[7]. The performance of this car rivaled some the fastest production cars of the era; for comparison, the legendary Ferrari Daytona did 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds and had a top speed of 175 mph[8].

Avion


None of the Viking Research Cars have ever reached production. The Avion, modeled off a previous Viking Research car and designed by former VRI student Craig Henderson, was perhaps the closest any of the cars came to being produced[9]. While the car only achieved 40 mpg combined, it could reach a top speed of 135 mph and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds using a 4-cylinder engine from a 1980s model fuel-injected Audi[10]. This combined performance and fuel economy was possible thanks to a 0.27 drag coefficient and a curb weight of only 1,500 lbs[10].

References:

[1] Avion. (1986). Would You Believe 88.2 mpg?. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://www.100mpgplus.com/articles/m...le_unocal.html

[2] Edmunds Inc. (2003, January 1). Volkswagen Golf Rabbit. Retrieved June 23, 2007, from http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=105265

[3] Avion. (1986). Would You Believe 88.2 mpg?. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://www.100mpgplus.com/articles/m...le_unocal.html

[4] Kocivar, B. (1982, January). Low-drag cars get 100+ mpg. Popular Science Magazine.

[5] Vehicle Research Institute at Western Washington University. (2006, September 19). VRI History. Retrieved June 22, 2007, from http://vri.etec.wwu.edu/history.htm

[6] Tour De Sol. (2004, June 12). The Tour De Sol Reports, 2004. Retrieved June 23, 2007, from http://www.autoauditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2004/

[7] Seal, M. R. (1985). The Viking VII: a lightweight research vehicle. SAE, 850101. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers.

[8] QV500. (2007). Ferrari Daytona Part 1: 365 GTB/4 & GTS/4. Retrieved June 23, 2007, from http://www.qv500.com/ferraridaytonap1.php

[9] Avion. (1985). Designing the car of the future: Small & simple is the secret of a WWU project. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://www.100mpgplus.com/articles/n...icle_0003.html

[10] Avion. (1985). Rocket on wheels: Experimental car set world record for fuel. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://www.100mpgplus.com/articles/n...icle_0001.html