Just One Word: Duh

I'm not really knocking this article. Rather, I'm knocking the fact that other people didn't realize this. "What do you mean? If we make cars weigh less, then they'll consume less fuel?" What a ludicrous thought (that was sarcasm for those that don't speak the language).

Maybe someday in the relatively near future, auto manufacturers will finally do what I want; make a car that still performs, but weighs significantly less. How do I get a job making these choices? Could I be the technology director for some auto manufacturer? I can already tell them where things are going and what would be beneficial for consumers, auto manufacturers, and the ecology.

Ultimately, all I want is a 200 hp car with good steering, good suspension, a low weight, and good gas mileage. For my purposes, I'll define good gas mileage as a combined average of over 30 mpg. They've come close already. The Acura RSX-S is 200 hp, and gets just slightly under. My RSX (base) is 160 hp, but gets about 31 mpg on average. The Civic Si also comes close. The Mini Cooper S doesn't quite have the horsepower, but weighs not much. The Lotus Elise is 190 hp and weighs only 1900 lbs, but doesn't quite get the gas mileage for some reason.

OK, I'm sorry if that last part was boring for the non-automobilicly inclined. The gist of it is, they've come close, but still haven't quite done it, though it shouldn't be hard. Oh, and they stopped making the RSX, which came really close. The Civic is about the only thing left that comes close.