GM's 100MPG car from 1982
 

You all have probably seen this many times, but for those who haven't; I found this in Hot Rod Mag; in the Nov. issue 2006. Sorry for the wrinkles, I carry this with me and show everybody I meet. They can build them, they just don't want to.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...3&d=1275492609

Looks like it is not much different than the late 80s Metro. Might be where the idea came from. The Metro might be what resulted from getting it up to safety standards of the time. Since they said they couldn't actually do it even with 1982 safety standards.

GM didn't make the "geo" though.

No, but they did make the Chevy Sprint, the Geo predecessor.

I think it almost looks like a mini-CRX.

No side view mirrors -- how did they solve that? Interior mirrors? I saw a car with interior mirrors that are set into smooth bubbles in the side glass... A nearly perfect solution, I think?

The wheel openings are HUGE! They could have been tightened up and reduce the drag a fair bit...

GM didn't "make" it but they did some portion of the development and it was built to their specs. That's my understanding of it anyway...

You are looking at the granddaddy of the Metro right there...

The blurb makes it sound as though it would have required "extra horsepower" to meet regulations. Which makes me wonder just how much (little) power it produced!

That one was a re-badged Suzuki as well.

GM "made" the later Geos in the sense that they entered into a manufacturing arrangement with Suzuki to build the cars in an Ontario plant. They had design input as well.

Of course they can.
I can't even begin to remember how many vehicles got owned by somebody smarter than mr. rich and "17mpg for everybody"...

..and the boxer engine. That too is so obviously buried while being godly .. it's just sickening to ponder.
...gear ratios too, it is just never ending. the more they try socialist, the more they are committed to suicide and taking the public with it.

There is a total dearth of pictures of this car on the 'net...

The lack of info on this and all the other high mileage cars developed but not produced is not surprising. There just wasn't enough profit to be made, that's the bottom line. If everyone owned one of these, imagine what that would do to gas prices. Much more profit selling hybrids; which by the way, with all of our vast advances in technology in the last 28 years; still get only half the mileage as this prototype.

I did manage to find a blurb with two photos: 1982 GM TPC - Concepts

http://www.carstyling.ru/Static/SIMG...9AB6D4B79E53ED

1982 was a good year for GM aerodynamic concepts, including this TPC, the Aero2000, and the Lean Machine.

Thanks to RobertSmalls info I was able to find a couple more links on the
topic.

Here they are: American Chronicle | 100 Miles Per Gallon? That’s So “1992”
1982 GM Lean Machine - Concepts

Thanks to RobertSmalls info I was able to find a couple more links on the
topic.American Chronicle | 100 Miles Per Gallon? That’s So “1992”
1982 GM Lean Machine - Concepts

Interesting. The styling (side window treatment) reminds me of the Mk2 Vauxhall / Opel Astra (later known as the Pontian LeMans and Deawoo Nexia, Cielo and Le Mans) particularly in 3 door form.

http://www.corsasport.co.uk/carimages/8812/100_0870.jpg

It would have been around 1983-4 I think so the time is close.

To be fair though the hybrids are much larger cars than this two seater.

Your missing the point, 2009Prius; GM had this technology available for at least 28 years; and never developed it, or made it available. Can you imagine the billions of gallons of gas that could have been saved? Can you imagine the effect that would have had on the environment? So why are the big 3 still producing cars that get less than 30MPG. It doesn't take a rocket scientest to figure that out, dah! Could there be a relationship between the big 3 and the big OIL companies?

The big three do have this technology but they don't sell it in the US. They will argue that there is no demand but evidence here (EM) suggests otherwise.

Maybe someone here knows why ? Maybe the big 3 could tell us ?

The big 3 only answer to the share holders and only concern with the bottom line. The environment? It's free to destroy (as long as EPA does not fine too heavily)! ;)

I don't think he is. The 100 mpg car you see in this thread became the 50mpg Chevy Sprint once all safety standards of the day were met, and it was "styled" to meet the market demands of the time. The Chevy Sprint became the 50 mpg Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift, with better safety/reliability. When those went away, we got the 50mpg Toyota Prius. Our Prius weighs about 3000 lbs loaded, will do 0-60 in 10 seconds, has 8 airbags, anti-lock brakes, skid control, and seats 5 comfortably, none of which were claims made by the 100mpg car. I would argue that it is just an evolution, and until safety standards level off, or demand for high MPG cars goes up, the peak MPG you will be expecting will stick around 50...
Yes millions of barrels of oil could have been saved, but when gas is cheap, nobody seems to care.

Exactly my point, the Prius and Insight are not made by the "big 3", which is what the topic I was addressing.