MPG IN CAR & DRIVER DECEMBER

Under the right foot of numerous Car & Driver editors, efficiency is hard to come by. Nevertheless, some cars perform above all reasonable expectations.

For example, Chevrolet's basic Corvette - upgraded with the Z51 suspension package as well as dual-mode exhaust for 6 more horses - spent an afternoon lapping Gratton Raceway and sipped just a gallon of fuel for every 25 miles driven. True, it wasn't just hot laps. But still, this is a car with 436 horsepower, a top speed of 186 miles per hour, and a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds. 25 miles per gallon? That's just 1mpg less than the Vette's official EPA highway figure. 

Not much worse is the Corvette Z06 with 505 horsepower, an extra 12mph at the top end, and a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds. That Corvette travelled 20 miles on a gallon. Somewhat worse was the $117,750 Corvette ZR1. 638 horses need to fed. Apparently, they need to be fed a lot. Every 12 miles required a gallon.

That's still better than C/D's Bugatti Veyron tester. True, with over 1000 horsepower and almost 4500 pounds, the Bugatti is expected to guzzle. Indeed, smack dab in the middle of 8mpg and 14mpg (the Veyron's EPA city and highway figures, respectively) sits the 11 miles per gallon attained by Car and Driver. Not bad.

Others from C/D's December issue include:

- Honda's new Fit, in Sport trim with a 5-speed manual, at 31mpg.

- HKS's turbocharged first-gen Fit, at 24mpg.

- a Suzuki SX4 hatchback from Road Race Motorsports at 25mpg.

- C/D's long-term diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI, at 22mpg.

- Volkswagen's Tiguan SEL 4Motion at 22mpg

- and the rotary-driven Mazda RX-8 R3 at 15mpg.