Super Fast, Fuel-Efficient Sports Cars

Who Knew Saving Money Could Be so Rewarding? For all you racers out there who love the speed of a mean machine, would it surprise you to know that there are truly fuel-efficient, really fast cars? I know, it sounds too good to be true. I took into account the speed from 0 to 60 MPH and the gas mileage when making this list. These cars are perfect if you are trying to convince your wife to purchase a sick ride. These cars are sure to catch people's eye, especially when in action. Who knew saving the environment could be so rewarding? Here are six bad boys you should really consider driving:

6. Smart Roadster

46.17 mpg combined
0-62 mph in 10.9 seconds

The speed does not seem impressive, but it certainly feels fast. I noticed when riding in a Smart Roadster in Ireland with my boyfriend, it accelerates fast in short distances. This car, in other words, is most exciting when driving in a city. You won't know until you try it. I highly recommend driving this car whenever you need a rental car :). Unfortunately, this car is not available in the United States.

5. Tesla Model S

Electric Motor
0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds
300 miles per charge
45 minute charge time

This car performs despite being electric and a saloon vehicle. I was very impressed with the miles per charge figure. The speed on this thing is also quite astounding. This car looks as good as it performs as well. If more vehicles were built like this, petrol vehicles would become a thing of the past. Make way for the electric wave!

4. Chevrolet Corvette

0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds!
20 hwy mpg

This car is significantly less efficient than the previously mentioned cars but trust me, this thing performs. I would love to ride around in this thing. It's look is fierce and it's speed is amazing. It is not engineered as well as my top three cars. This car proves that American engineering has come a long way.

3. Porsche 911 Carrera 4s

0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds
25 hwy mpg

Porsche is known for efficiency and speed. Porsche, unlike most other car companies, does not have to resort to just slapping on a giant engine. This car encompasses all that Porsche is about. This is a very well-made vehicle.

2. Porsche 911 Turbo

0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds with a manual gear box and 3.2 seconds with PDK!
40-60 in 1 second (2nd gear)!!
29 hwy mpg

There's a reason this car is my boyfriend's favorite. It is fast, efficient, and attractive. In Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Porsche 911, he said that when driving in some cities, the fumes coming out of its back are more toxic than the air going in the engine. This car performs similarly to the Chevy Corvette, but is much more efficient. This car is a beast!

1. Tesla Roadster

Electric vehicle
0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds
227 miles per charge
3.5 hours to charge

This car is the fastest fuel-efficient vehicle on the market! This is my favorite car. If I had the money, I would buy this in a jiffy. It is a beautiful piece of engineering!



Sources:
Tesla
Porsche UK
Porsche US
Chevrolet
Smart Roadster
Top Gear: Porsche 911 (video clip)

What It Means To Be "Fuel Efficient"

The "Cash for Clunkers" program has become a sensation amongst those who are either spending too much on petrol or are concerned about the environment. People all over the country have swapped their BMWs, Mercedes, Fords, Cadillacs, Jeeps, and Hummers for Kias, Toyotas, Smarts, and Nissans. The problem with this is that it is not a direct swap. People who paid a large sum of money for their BMWs, Cadillacs, and Mercs are now trading them in for only $4 to 5 K off a new, less expensive vehicle. For those who own such cars, I doubt paying for a new, less expensive vehicle is a problem. Unfortunately, many lower middle class workers are trading in their vehicles because petrol is too volatile for their wallets. As a result of this new purchase, they are now in debt. These are the people who do not benefit from the "Cash for Clunkers" program.
Unfortunately, fully electric vehicles, which are becoming more and more efficient, are still much too expensive for the average consumer. Hybrids seem to be the only fuel efficient options on the market. The Ford Focus is the most fuel efficient non-hybrid vehicle in America. But even with the somewhat affordable hybrid technology, one can only reach a maximum of 48mpg.
There is an affordable option: foreign cars. No, no, I don't mean foreign MADE cars. I am talking about US AND foreign made cars that were made for the European, Japanese, and Indian markets. After seeing this statement you are probably thinking, "This would be much too expensive to implement for the lower middle class. People would have to ship the vehicles here." Well, that is not what I am suggesting.
I am suggesting that Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Mercedes, Toyota, and every other car manufacturer build cars in the US to the EU's fuel standards. "But won't that mean that our SAFETY standards will be jeopardized?" NO! Even though we sell F150s and Hummers, both the EU and US have large container trucks; therefore, cars must be able to withstand an impact from these trucks. Also, roads in some EU countries are far more narrow than ours. If the cars were not safe, then they would not be allowed on European roads. The gap between US and EU fuel economy is staggering! Here are just a few examples (Warning: this will make you sick!):

US Model w/ US MPG:
Yaris, 1.5L, 32MPG;
Land Cruiser, v8, 15MPG;
Smart, 36MPG;
Insight, 1.3L, 41MPG;
Prius, 46MPG.

UK Model w/ US MPG:
Yaris, 1.0L, 47.09MPG;
Yaris, 1.3L, 46.16MPG;
Yaris, 1.4L, Diesel, 57.42MPG;
Land Cruiser, 25.58MPG;
Land Cruiser, v8, 23.08MPG;
Smart Diesel, 71.33MPG;
Insight, 1.3L, 53.50MPG;
Prius, 60.36MPG.

I think these figures say it all. For those of you who do not believe me, look it up for yourself.
Here are my sources:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov (Search all)
http://www.toyota.co.uk (Search: Land Cruiser, Prius, Yaris)
http://www.honda.co.uk (Search: Insight)
http://www.green-car-guide.com/articles/479/1/Smart-Diesel-is-coming-to-the-UK/Page1.html