Students Build Black Widow Supercar that Gets 2752.3 MPG

[FarCenter]

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/19/students-build-black-widow-supercar-that-gets-2752-3-mpg/
(See link for pictures)
by Ariel Schwartz, 02/19/10

Think claims of electric vehicles that get over 200 MPG are impressive? Try this on for size: a group of mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly have developed a vehicle that can get up to 2752.3 MPG — and it doesn’t even use batteries.

The Cal Poly Supermileage Team’s wondercar, dubbed the Black Widow, has been under construction since 2005. The 96 pound car has three wheels, a drag coefficient of 0.12, a top speed of 30 MPH, and a modified 3 horsepower Honda 50cc four-stroke engine. It originally clocked in at 861 MPG and has been continuously tweaked to achieve the mileage we see today.

Want to see the Black Widow in action? The car is being entered for a fourth time in the Shell Eco-marathon along with a new three-wheeled Urban Concept vehicle. Who knows? Maybe this one will break the 3,000 MPG barrier.

[LiberalFighter]

1. I thought it would run on rubber-bands. But only a speed of 30 MPH?

[FarCenter]

2. Wind resistance uses up too much energy as the speed increases

Have to keep the speed low for best mpg.

[upi402]

3. Glad it's a 4 stroke and not a 2 smoke engine

How many decibels is it? Good for Cal Poly!

[gristy]

4. the only hitch is there's this big white sail tied to the roof and the wind has to be from the rear

[DrDan]

5. unfortunately you cannot go downhill all the time . . .