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'Project Sipster': Could Top Gear get great performance and fuel economy for under $7,000?
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The appearance of this 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit was clearly not a top
priority in Top Gear's Project Sipster. (photo by Top Gear America)
The car guys at the Top Gear America auto enthusiast web site set a challenge for themselves: spend under $7,000 to get a car to get at least 70 miles per gallon while going from zero to 60 miles per hour in under seven seconds.
The program bought a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit hatchback -- whose light weight (it predates today's more rigorous safety standards) would help both acceleration and gas mileage -- and wedged in a more modern diesel engine.
Their other nods toward maximum fuel efficiency included driving gently (many driving enthusiasts find this agonizing) and improving the car's aerodynamics with pieces of plywood and cardboard.
Top Gear America had given itself just 55 days to make its old Rabbit faster and more fuel-efficient. Read its full account of the various problems they ran into and see whether or not they managed to succeed.
It's worth noting that Auto Review Examiner John Matras recently got nearly 74 miles per gallon from the redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius without using any cardboard or plywood. But although Toyota hasn't announced pricing for the new Prius, odds are it would not undercut the cost of Project Sipster, and Top Gear's rebuilt Rabbit is also much quicker.
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