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Car Averages 113.1 MPG In I-5 Trip

Avion Set World Record For MPG, Designers Say

Monday, October 13, 2008 – updated: 12:15 pm EDT October 13, 2008

Tired of high gas prices? Two Northwest car designers have developed a car averaging 113.1 miles per gallon.

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Craig Henderson, who lives in Bellingham, Wash., drove his aerodynamic car down Interstate 5 on Saturday, from the Canadian-Washington border to the Washington-Oregon border.

Henderson and fellow designer Bill Green said they broke the world record for most miles per gallon.

"We drove from border to border across Washington state here today," Green said. "We averaged about 113.1 miles per gallon."

The car, dubbed the Avion, originally set the record for most miles per gallon in 1986 when it averaged 103.7 miles per gallon. Green and Henderson said they named their car after the French word for airplane because of the vehicle's unique design.

The prototype was completed in 1984, but until recently, Green and Henderson said very few people have paid attention to the fuel-efficient sports car.

As gas prices skyrocketed, however, more drivers took notice.

Green and Henderson spent months testing the car in wind tunnels so they could perfect each angle.

The car's body is designed to reduce drag; it requires only 3 to 6 horsepower to maintain highway speed, giving it a top speed of over 100mph, according to the car's Web site.

Henderson said the car has reached 114 mpg at 55 mph while driving on public roads from Eugene to Portland.

The designers said they have plans for a limited production, which will soon allow drivers to buy an Avion for themselves.

Related:
100MPGplus.com

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