BMW i8 Concept - Official Photos and Info

It’s been nearly two years since BMW’s Vision Effective Dynamic Concept debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt show, and the car has now officially re-emerged one step closer to production as the BMW i8 concept. As you can see, little has changed in the styling department. In fact, other than a new wheel design, the only other notable change we’ve spotted concerns the doors, which seem to have claimed some territory along their bottoms and thereby reduced the size of the blue body-side accent. Interestingly, the car didn’t show that change when BMW paraded it around for spy photographers this past March, but we like it.

Passenger Compartment + Powertrain = LifeDrive

As with the i3 city car concept that debuted at the same time, the story of the i8 begins with its so-called LifeDrive architecture. BMW says that its experiences in creating the Mini E and 1-series-based BMW ActiveE showed that adapting cars engineered for internal-combustion power to electric propulsion results in a lot of excess weight and compromises in packaging. As a result, both the i8 and i3 are built using two purpose-built modules: one to house passengers, dubbed “Life,” and one for propulsion and suspension components, called “Drive.” Combine them, and you have a car—and marketing-friendly “LifeDrive” branding.

While the i3 and i8 share the LifeDrive architectural philosophy, the cars differ in execution. That’s because the i3 is fully electric, while this i8 is a plug-in hybrid. The i8’s powertrain is split between its two axles, with an electric motor and direct-drive transmission at the front axle and a gas engine and transaxle at the rear.

Interestingly, the battery packs in the i3 and i8 use different lithium-ion chemistries, as well as unique shapes. The large, square pancake battery of the i3 is designed for longer distance travel—in other words, it has a lot of energy—and is located below the passenger compartment. In contrast, the i8’s lithium-ion cells protrude into the coupe’s Life space, where, as in the Chevrolet Volt, the liquid-cooled and -heated battery stack fills a hump that could be mistaken for a transmission tunnel. The i8’s elongated pack is designed to deliver shots of power in short spurts; the final spec is yet to be decided, but it should have a capacity of around 8 kWh.

Arranging the pack this way allowed BMW’s engineers to achieve yet another claim of perfect 50/50 weight distribution, thereby preserving peace in the city of Munich. As in the i3, the i8’s Drive components are largely crafted of aluminum, while the Life module uses a carbon-fiber skeleton wrapped in thermoplastic exterior panels.

So much lightweight material allows the i8 to use a smaller, lighter battery than would be needed if the car were made of heavier steel. This frees up room in the cabin, and, more important, keeps the curb weight around a svelte 3300 pounds. The rigidity imparted by the carbon fiber also allows for long, dramatic doors that ease access to the two small rear seats.

While most other hybrids are based on existing front-drive vehicles, BMW had the luxury of starting from scratch. As with all 50/50-balanced cars, the majority of braking forces occur at the front axle. So, in the effort to recoup as much energy from regenerative braking, it makes sense for BMW to fit the electric half of the powertrain up front. The i8 uses a modified version of the i3's electric motor, with a peak output of 129 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It’s fed juice, of course, by those lithium-ions, and takes about two hours to charge from a 240-volt trough. Battery topped off, the i8 will return 20 miles of all-electric driving.

Three’s Company: 220-Horse Three-Cylinder

The original Vision EfficientDynamics concept used a three-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, but the i8 makes use of a gas-fired turbo three-cylinder that may turn out to be the best part of the powertrain puzzle. It is a version of BMW’s new modular engine on which we first reported in April. It displaces just 1.5 liters, features direct injection, a turbocharger, variable camshaft timing, and variable intake-cam lift. It makes an astonishing 220 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. Altogether, the hybrid powertrain makes 349 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. That puts this car in elite company within BMW. Think M company.

The i8 weighs slightly less than a 1-series M, and makes more power and torque. BMW says the i8 is governed to 155 mph and it will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than five seconds; think more like low fours with a quarter-mile time of less than 13 seconds. But where the 1M gets, at best, 26 mpg on the highway, BMW says the ocho should return real-world, combined fuel economy near 40 mpg. One area of concern for twisty-road seekers is its tires. They are narrow, of the low-rolling-resistance variety and will thus suffer in limit grip. We hope there’s an option box for summer tires.

Like the Porche 918 supercar, the i8’s engine and electric motor can each power the car on their own or they can work in tandem for better traction at launch or when powering out of a tight corner. Each axle also contributes regenerative electricity; the front houses the regenerative braking system, while the engine at the rear has a high-voltage alternator—it looks to be about half the size of the inline-three’s block—to recapture energy. No mention was made regarding what type of transmission will be paired with the gas engine, but Bimmer reps said it is an automatic and a familiar piece. Our hunch is that it could actually be an unfamiliar six- or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, although it might be the Mini Cooper’s six-speed slushbox tuned for efficient, low-rpm torque-convertor lockups.

A button-activated “Eco Pro” mode dulls throttle response and reduces the climate-control systems draw on the battery system. This improves fuel economy and has the potential to stretch the electric-only range a bit.

What i Looks Like

While not much has changed about the i8’s styling, a few themes have emerged now that it has a sibling in the i3. The laying of light-gray panels over a black and clear sub-layer is meant to reference the car’s Life and Drive components. Many of those clear layers, like the lower half of the swing-wing doors, will turn opaque when production time comes. Besides just looking flat-out futuristic, BMW i models will be marked by a BMW roundel with a blue ring around the outside, blue accents on the grilles and side sills, and the “stream flow” C-pillar treatment.

Inside, the i8 concept foregoes traditional gauges in exchange for a more future-tech 8.8-inch display screen for reporting road and engine speed, as well as battery and fuel levels. In Eco Pro mode, the digital gauges glow blue; in Sport mode—details of which were in short supply—they glow orange. A second screen tops the dash above the center stack to display navigation and infotainment functions, and the rest of the interior is clean, simple, and made largely of recycled or sustainable materials.

Yes, the i8 is technically a concept, although in typical BMW fashion, it’s pretty well fleshed out and likely very close to what you’ll see when the production car launches in 2014. While the diminutive i3 is certainly intended to capture the attention of the general public, the i8 appears to be an effort to draw a few enthusiasts under the BMW i umbrella as sustainability and efficiency become increasingly important. While it remains to be seen if the i8 will be satisfying to pilot, we applaud the idea, since there’s not much that we want to see more than a long future for driver’s cars.

BMW i3 Concept - Official Photos and Info

BMW has been hyping up its “Megacity Vehicle” for a couple of years now, and despite teasers about innovative tech features and full carbon-fiber body structures, we’ve withheld judgment, even when we spied one in the wild over winter. But as of now, the shroud of mystery has been lifted about all the details except how the thing actually drives. Like a BMW? Like nothing before it? Maybe both?

The i3’s story begins with its LifeDrive architecture. According to BMW, experience with the Mini Eand BMW ActiveE (the electric 1-series coupe) has proven that creating an electric car out of a structure designed to house an internal-combustion engine results in wasteful excess weight and imperfect packaging. As a result, the i3 (and the i8 Sports car that was also just unveiled) is made up of two separate modules, which BMW calls Drive and Life.

The Drive portion, made of extruded and cast aluminum pieces, carries all the driveline and chassis components. For an optimized center of gravity, the i3’s large and flat battery, roughly the size of the floor, sits low in this section. It’s encased in aluminum and has a capacity of roughly 21 kWh. Because the car is still a few years from production, the exact specs have yet to be nailed down.

Mod Squad

The Life module sits atop the Drive components chassis, and houses passengers and luggage. As BMW has already announced, this structure consists of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, or CFRP, a first for any vehicle this side of a few exotic supercars. While the aluminum Drive module weighs 30 percent less than a similar steel structure, the weight reduction in the CFRP Life module is closer to 50 percent. The carbon-fiber shell weighs just 265 pounds and is attached to the Drive module in five locations with glue and screws. As a whole, the i3 weighs in at 2800 pounds, according to BMW. When speaking about the safety of CFRP, the company points to Formula 1 cockpits as proof of security. While metals require large crumple zones, carbon can be designed with special deformation elements that result in large amounts of energy being consumed in a very small space. A further benefit of the LifeDrive architecture, in the i3’s case, is the deletion of a driveshaft tunnel, allowing more space to be dedicated to the cabin. BMW says each set of seats (front and rear) is connected so that every passenger can leave from one side in a tight parking space, but we think someone at the company just really digs bench seats. There’s seven cubic feet of space left over in the rear for luggage, as well as a small compartment up front where the gas engine would usually be for stowing a charging cord or other small items.

Back inside the Drive structure, the i3 uses a 168-hp electric motor that’s 40 percent more compact than that of a Mini E, allowing it to fit right above the rear axle. Power is delivered to the wheels via a direct-drive single-speed transaxle. Yes, one speed. That means the car will never shift on its way up to a computer-limited top speed of 93 mph, which BMW has determined to be the point at which the batteries begin to drain too quickly. The company says the i3 will run 0 to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds. In terms of passing power, accelerating from 50 to 75 mph should take just six seconds.

Peak torque is 184 lb-ft. Range is estimated at 80 to 100 miles, and a full charge from a 240-volt source will take about six hours. With a special high-speed charger, the i3 is said to be capable of reaching an 80-percent charge in just an hour, meaning medium-range drives can be done with just a long coffee break in the middle. But wait, there’s more, as the infomercial folks might say.

Keep Going and Going and Going

Feedback from Mini E drivers showed that 90 percent of them were content with a driving range of under 100 miles, but for the outlying minority, BMW has (somewhat surprisingly) decided to offer the i3 with an optional range extender BMW calls REx. The company is mum on official details for the time being, but we do know that it will be a two-cylinder displacing about 600 cc and based on an engine in the BMW family. Think a modified motorcycle engine optimized to run at fewer—and quieter—rpm in an effort to be as transparent as possible. The engine meets strict SULEV standards and features auto stop-start capabilities. While BMW claims the extender doubles the i3’s range to about 190 miles, thus eliminating range anxiety from the electric-car equation, it also eliminates some practicality as the engine, generator, and fuel tank reduce the seven-cubic-foot cargo space to something far less useful.

Another pricey option BMW divulged is a bit of Star Trek technology called inductive charging. Small electronics have been able to take advantage of this for a few years now , but charging an iPod is far different from charging an i3. Inductive charging uses magnetic fields to transmit electricity to the battery wirelessly, meaning that all a driver has to do is pull the i3 into a garage equipped with, say, a charger embedded in the floor, and the car will automatically start to charge. There’s no cord to connect. It will be expensive, but, as one engineer told us, has the potential for fewer losses than conductive charging. BMW promises a demonstration later this year, which we eagerly anticipate. (We saw the tech at work on a Tesla Roadster at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.)

Among the i3’s other energy-saving details are familiar concepts like the “air curtain” first seen on the updated 2011 1-series, which smoothes airflow around the front wheels, as well as narrow, drag-reducing tires. Like the accelerator in a Tesla Roadster, the i3’s go pedal is tuned so that the car will still coast if the driver lifts just slightly, while lifting entirely off the pedal will engage regenerative braking based on pedal position. BMW predicts that, in around-town driving, this will allow the brake pedal to go untouched 75 percent of the time.

Beyond that, a button-activated Eco Pro mode changes throttle response so that the same pedal travel delivers less power. In this mode, speed is capped anywhere between 56 and 74 mph, and climate-control output is reduced. However, because the batteries use the climate system to stay at an operating temperature of 68 degrees, the system always remains running to some extent. Eco Pro can extend range by as much as 20 percent. Truly distressed drivers will be able to fall back on Eco Pro +, a mode that shuts down daytime running lights and any other non-vital energy drains, limits climate control functions to a minimum, caps speed at 56 mph, and tells the driver to get bent when he dives into the accelerator. Oh brave new world, with such vehicles in it.

So This is What the Future Looks Like

Design-wise, you can judge for yourself whether the i3 is a hip little car, but it certainly looks future-intensive. The rear doors open up rearward (their operation likely will require the front doors to be opened first), and the layering of light-gray panels over a black and clear layer is meant to reference the car’s division of Life and Drive components. Both this i3 and the i8 get a BMW roundel with a blue ring around the outside and blue accents on the grilles and side sills. “Stream flow,” which describes the C-pillar’s exposed glass section defined by lines converging like air streaks in a wind tunnel, is the Hofmeister kink of BMW i. Our first look inside the cabin, it appears, will have to wait until later.

The i3 is still in its concept stage, so some minor details could still change before its launch in calendar year 2013. We expect it also will be some time before we know more about how much the thing will cost. But for now, we must say BMW has our attention

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-class / ML350 4MATIC / ML350 BlueTec - First Drive Review

Before the recession, Mercedes-Benz had no trouble selling 34,000 MLs in the U.S. each year. For 2011, the company’s best-known SUV is back on track to hit 30,000 sales. Right now, in fact, ML sales are up 14.5 percent. “It puts us in a funny position,” confesses Mercedes U.S.A. president and CEO Ernst Lieb. “We’re spending millions to replace a car that remains a huge profit center.” It’s like replacing Yankee Stadium’s hot dogs with, say, toaster waffles. Are you sure you want to mess with a good thing?

That’s nonetheless what Mercedes is doing with its third-gen M-class, which, we hasten to add, resembles wieners and waffles only in its ability to cause customers to queue up. The first to arrive is the ML350 4MATIC, powered by a new, direct-injection 3.5-liter gas V-6 producing 302 horsepower (an increase of 34). It will be partnered with the ML350 BlueTec 4MATIC, motivated by a redesigned 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel making 240 horsepower (an increase of 30). Base price for the gas ML is $49,865, and the diesel, now accounting for 13 percent of sales, fetches an additional $1500.

This new ML is about an inch longer and a half-inch wider, and it squats 0.8-inch lower than before. Cargo capacity behind the rear seat has grown seven cubic feet.

The baseball bat of a turn-signal/wiper stalk thankfully has been moved to the 10-o’clock position on the steering column, and its cruise-control function has been relegated to a second stalk at 8 o’clock. Unfortunately, you’ll still find yourself flicking at the column-mounted gear selector whenever you desire wipers. It’s annoying.

On road, we drove a gas-powered ML350 with the Dynamic Handling package. That $5150 option includes the Active Curve System (ACS), which decouples the anti-roll bars both off-road and during straight-ahead freeway slogs. We never felt it coupling or decoupling. We never felt it doing much of anything, to tell the truth, although body motions were satisfactorily controlled in the hills. But body motions were also satisfactorily controlled in a non-ACS ML we sampled, and that one didn’t max out at a cosmically startling $73,055. As the ML negotiates turns, you can still feel huge lateral load transfers, and the seats’ weak bolsters further suggest that this SUV might possess grand ambitions, but handling is not among them.

We’ll tell you one thing: This new ML is spectacularly quiet, subjectively as quiet as, say, a Lexus 570, thanks to high-insulation glazing and additional sealing. And the ML pretty much matches the Lexus’s memorably cushy ride, too. Suspension travel feels endless; road nastiness is filtered to a fine fare-thee-well. Unfortunately, highway textures and slip angles are likewise filtered out of the light steering, as if such information might be an affront to the driver. The brake pedal isn’t doing much talking, either. At least interstate tracking is flawless.

The seven-speed transmission’s upshifts and kickdowns are supremely gentle, and engine roar is reduced to a velvety hum seemingly emanating from an adjacent ZIP Code. Fit and finish are of a quality that should make assembly workers in storm-smacked Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, proud. For two riders, back-seat legroom is excellent, kneeroom superb, headroom vast.

We nosed an ML350 BlueTec diesel off-road, through sippy holes, bogs, and ugly ruts. Over hill and dirty dale, the long-travel suspension, the silky dampers, and the rock-solid platform conspire to improve the experience. You’ll find that the road-biased M+S rubber, however, is not your ally in the mud. The diesel engine definitely is an ally—it’s among the most velvety oil-burners ever installed in a passenger car. No clatter, no soot, no odor, no tactile evidence to reveal its baser origins. The driver notices only a slightly delayed throttle response, an added half-second of laziness at step-off.

Eight-cylinder MLs will arrive in the first quarter of 2012. Two-wheel-drive models will follow, as will a more off-road-biased version with a terrain selector and a two-speed transfer case.

Mercedes says the new ML is only a few pounds heavier than its forebear, but the vehicle feels massive, a little slow-witted, and somewhat resistant to course corrections. If you’re looking for driving gratification or personality, well, it will have to derive from the M-class’s luxurious fittings and from its soothing soundlessness. Ten minutes after climbing out, you’ll remember the awesome stereo more than any dynamic merits. Sometimes progress smells like waffles.

Specifications:

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

BASE PRICE: $49,865–$51,365

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter diesel V-6, 240 hp, 455 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 302 hp, 273 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 114.8 in Length: 189.1 in Width: 75.8 in Height: 70.7 in Curb weight: 4900–5150 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST): Zero to 60 mph: 6.9–7.8 sec Standing ¼-mile: 15.2–15.8 sec Top speed: 130 mph

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (MFR'S EST): EPA city/highway: 17–20/22–25 mpg

2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec 4MATIC - Short Take Road Test

The Mercedes-Benz S-class shas more variants than does any other large luxury car, with powerplants ranging from a hybrid to this S350 diesel (the first supersized Benz oiler since 1995) to two twin-turbo V-8s and two twin-huffed V-12s. Throughout the vast expanse of the range, Mercedes has wisely aligned price with traditional notions of performance. For example, the S400 hybrid, at $92,275, is the cheapest Benz limo and the slowest to 60 mph; the slightly quicker $93,425 S350 BlueTec, available only in 4MATIC spec, undercuts an equivalently optioned S550 by around $4500.

The S400 hybrid’s bottom-rung pricing may be further justified by the fact that it’s a flawed vessel of Benz’s fuel-sipping aspirations, with unpredictable brake feel and a hybrid system that can’t hold a candle to some offered by competitors. But the S350 diesel is more fully realized, an oil barge that offsets its merely ample performance with outlandish torque ratings and range capability.

Powering it is Mercedes’ 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel, seen previously in the ML350 Bluetec. Both the ML and the S pack a more-powerful version of this engine, with a new turbo, new heads, and a host of other changes helping make more power and torque than the version found in, say, the E-class—240 hp versus 210 and 455 lb-ft versus 400.

S and E diesel acceleration comes out about even in our testing: 0-to-60 in 7.0 seconds (S350) to 7.2 (E350). It’s not all due to the increased output, though. The bigger car’s all-wheel-drive system (the E BlueTec is rear-wheel drive only) contributes to the comparable launch times, even if neither Benz diesel can rev out to match the 5.3-second sprint of the last gas-powered S550 we tested. But the sebaceous V-6’s character is resolute, with the same vector-chasing determination of the S550. As in all non-AMG Benzes, throttle response is a bit deliberate, which requires patience but makes it easy to hold an even speed on the highway. A forceful incline of the diesel pedal summons churn that would twist a lesser car apart, and the extra power and torque give the S350 strong passing legs.

Learning to Let Go

All intimations of aggressiveness, however, are undone by the car’s meager grip. The S350 posts a disappointing 0.79 g on the skidpad and brakes like a frigate, needing 181 feet to stop from 70 mph. An S400 hybrid we tested, wearing the same H-rated Michelin Pilot MXM4s, hit 0.86 g and stopped five feet shorter. The hybrid’s better mass distribution helped it in this regard but not as much as the absence of mass itself: The hybrid S-class undercuts the diesel car by nearly 400 pounds.

Still, the diesel gets better mileage than the hybrid, giving more ammo to our argument that modern oil burners are the smart choice for America’s long-distance demands. In its two weeks with us, the S350 returned 26 mpg to the 24 we got in the hybrid.

And even though it’s a diesel, the S350 is marginally quieter than other S-classes. At 70-mph cruise, it posts 66 dB to the 2011 S550 4MATIC’s 67; 70 dB at wide-open throttle to the 550’s 72. It’s even quieter than the hybrid. Indeed, inside the cabin, there’s nothing but subdued luxury—seemingly infinitely adjustable seats, more driver aids than you can shake a stick at, and switchgear that feels as if it were milled from solid hunks of aluminum, which it was. All the S-class virtues remain, but the diesel—cheaper, smarter, and as pleasurable to drive as any S550—brings real rationality and economy to the proceedings.

Specifications:

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $112,605 (base price: $93,425)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 187 cu in, 2987 cc Power (SAE net): 240 hp @ 3600 rpm

Torque (SAE net): 455 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:Wheelbase: 124.6 in Length: 206.5 in Width: 73.7 in Height: 58 in

Curb weight: 4985 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:Zero to 60 mph: 7.0 secZero to 100 mph: 20.1 secStreet start, 5–60 mph: 8.6 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 4.2 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 5.2 secStanding ¼-mile: 15.5 sec @ 89 mphTop speed (governor limited): 130 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 181 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g

FUEL ECONOMY:EPA city/highway driving (mfr’s est): 20/31 mpg

C/D-observed: 26 mpg

Most Fuel Efficient Cars: Top 10 List 2011-2012

At one time in the summer of 2008, gas prices average around $4.50/gallon in the U.S. After the summer of 2008, gas prices plummeted down to $2.00/gallon and people were beginning to enjoy going out more. However, as of April 2011, the price is already $4.00/gallon and it is predicted that it will reach over $5.00/gallon within the next year or so.

The best ways to save money is not drive at all and just stay home, sit in front of your computer all day long! Most of us can't do that because we must drive to work and we live in a society where driving is a necessity. How many miles are you getting from a gallon of gas? There will be no expensive cars in this post and none of the cars here will reach 0-60 in 5 secs, but these cars will save you money on gas every year.

Best Gas Mileage Cars - Top 10 List:

1. Toyota Prius: 51 City/48 Hwy (50 Combined), Base Price: $23,050. 1.8-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and 134 hp, 0-60 mph in 9.8 secs. The most fuel efficient car on the market is the Toyota Prius, also the most demanding car in the U.S. A small sedan, but roomy enough for 5 and it is perfect for those that drive over 100 miles a day to work. The 3rd Generation Toyota Prius model is on sale since 2009 and currently available for purchase at most Toyota dealers.

2. Lexus CT 200h: 43 City/40 Hwy (42 Combined), Base Price: $29,120. 1.8-liter, with 4-Cylinder engine and up to 134 hp, 0-60 mph in 9.8 secs. Why not have both luxury and fuel efficiency in one car? The Lexus CT 200h does just that by offering great gas mileage with a luxurious feel. Wow your friends and colleagues with a whopping 42 mpg in a Lexus.

3. Honda Civic Hybrid vs Honda Insight: Tie for third are the Honda cars, which both give an estimated combined 41 mpg. The Civic Hybrid has more room and cargo space, while the Insight is much more affordable.

Honda Civic Hybrid: 40 City/43 Hwy (41 Combined), Base Price: $23,950. 1.3-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 110 hp, 0-60 mph in 11.3 secs.

Honda Insight: 40 City/43 Hwy (41 Combined), Base Price: $18,200. 1.3-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 98 hp.

4. Ford Fusion Hybrid vs Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: In the fourth spot are two contenders from Ford Motors with each having a combined 39 mpg. These hybrids are packed with a powerful engine which give out 191 hp. The Fusion Hybrid is more affordable, while the MKZ Hybrid has more class and style.

Ford Fusion Hybrid: 41 City/36 Hwy (39 Combined), Base Price: $28,405. 2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 191 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.4 secs.

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: 41 City/36 Hwy (39 Combined), Base Price: $34,645. 2.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 191 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.2 secs.

5. Honda CR-Z or Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Ranking in fifth place is a duel between the H companies; CR-Z and the Sonata Hybrid each has a estimated combined 37 mpg. Honda offers a sporty coupe at a comfortable price range while Hyundai offers a full sedan with great gas mileage.

Honda CR-Z: 35 City/39 Hwy (37 Combined), Base price: $19,345. 1.5-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 122 hp. 0-60 mph in 9.7 secs.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: 35 City/40 Hwy(37 avg.) Base Price: $25,795. 2.4-liter, 4-Cylinder engine with 206 hp. 0-60 mph in 9.2 secs.

6. Smart for Two: 33 City/41 Hwy (36 Combined), Base Price: $10,990. 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder runs on high-priced premium fuel with only 70 hp. 0-60 mph in 12.8 secs. When is it too smart to save money? Small, affordable 2-seat coupe that has a small engine, capable of saving you a lot of money due to it low cost and 36 combined fuel efficiency. If you prefer style, go with the cabriolet model, a convertible version that start at $17,690.

7. Volkswagen Jetta TDI & Golf TDI: Each Volkswagen car has a estimated combined 34 mpg and they both run on diesel instead of regular gasoline. The price for the Jetta and Golf are very similar and depending on your style, you can either go with the Jetta or the Golf.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI: 30 City/42 Hwy (34 avg), Base Price: $22,995. 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine with 140 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.7 secs.

Volkswagen Golf TDI: 30 City/42 Hwy (34 avg), Base Price: $23,225. 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine with 140 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.6 secs.

8. Ford Fiesta vs Hyundai Elantra: With an average 33 mpg, the Fiesta and Elantra are both affordable sedans starting at less than $15k. When trying to save money, fuel efficiency is not the only factor, buying a car that cost much less with fewer mpg is actually better than buying one with high mpg but costing you over $10k more.

Ford Fiesta SFE: 29 City/40 Hwy (33 Combined), Base Price:$14,420. 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 119 hp. 0-60 mph in 8.7 secs.

Hyundai Elantra: 29 City/40 Hwy (33 Combined), Base Price: $14,830. 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 148 hp. 0-60 mph in 10.5 secs.

9. Nissan Altima Hybrid: 33 City/33 Hwy (33 avg), Base Price: $26,800. 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine with 198 hp, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 7.5 secs. A midsize sedan made for the Nissan lovers; a bit sportier than most hybrids.

9. Toyota Camry Hybrid: 31 City/35 Hwy (33 avg), Base Price: $26,675. 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder with 187-horsepower, reaching 0-60 mph in 7.7 secs. If you love the original Camry, then you should try the Camry Hybrid because it has better fuel economy and it can be a big saver after a few years.

10. Ford Escape Hybrid: 34 City/31 Hwy (32 Combined), Base Price: $30,110. 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder with 171 hp. The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel efficient SUV in the world. It has better gas mileage than most passengers cars and at the same time, it can also performed heavy duty jobs.

10. Toyota Yaris vs Toyota Corolla. Which Toyota vehicle would you rather own? The Yaris is definitely a better buy, but it is smaller than the average sedan and it functionality is very limited.

Toyota Yaris: 29 City/35 Hwy, Base Price: $11,350.

Toyota Corolla: 28 City/37 Hwy, Base Price: $15,250.

9. Mini Cooper: 28 City/37 Hwy, Base Price: $18,700. Engines: 118hp 1.6 L I4. A small vehicle that can also be purchased as a convertible.

10. Honda Fit vs Ford Focus vs Honda Civic. Which do you prefer out of these 3 cars? All 3 cars are under $16,000 and they will get you around 30-miles per gallon of gas.

Honda Fit: 28 City/34 Hwy, Base Price: $13,950.

Ford Focus: 24 City/35 Hwy, Base Price: $14,395

Honda Civic: 26 City/34 Hwy, Base Price: $15,010

Special Car - Honda Civic GX (run on natural gas): 24 City/36 Hwy, Base Price: $24, 590. 113-hp, 1.8-Liter, 16-Valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine. This is probably the most fuel efficient car because natural gasoline costs less than $2.00 a gallon. However, this isn't on the top 10 list because it is currently only available in NY and CA and it is very limited. You probably won't find a natural gas pump at your regular gas station, that is why Honda sells an at home pump you can plug into your home's natural gas line. A full tank (8 gallons) can travels approximately 170 miles and fueling stations are very limited; make sure to plan your trip correctly if you own a Civic GX.

Most Expensive Cars In The World: Top 10 List 2011-2012

The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for $8,700,000 in 1987. However, that car and many alike will not be included in this list because it is not available on the market today. It is hard to imagine someone would actually spend 8 million dollars on a car instead of using it for something more productive. However, if you had the money and opportunity, you would probably spend a small fraction of it on a collection of supercars for your private garage.

Here are the 10 most expensive production cars on the market; we will not include concept cars.

1. Bugatti veyron super sports $2,400,000. This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today (the base Veyron costs $1,700,000). It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It is also the fastest street legal car when tested again on July 10, 2010 with the 2010 Super Sport Version reaching a top speed of 267 mph. When competing against the Bugatti Veyron, you better be prepared!

2. Pagani Zonda Clinque Roadster $1,850,000. One of the most exotic cars out there is one of the most expensive. It can go from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph.

3. Lamborgini Reventon $1,600,000. The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built is the third on the list. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

We have a tie for 3rd place:

3.Koenigsegg Agera R $1,600,000. The Agera R can burn 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 260 mph. It has the parts to reach 270 mph, but the supercar is electronically capped at 235 mph. With the completion of certain paperwork, the company will unlock the speed limit for one occasion.

4. McLaren F1 $970,000. In 1994, the McLaren F1 was the fastest and most expensive car. Even though it was built 15 years ago, it has an unbelievable top speed of 240 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Even today, the McLaren F1 is still top on the list and outperforms many other supercars.

5. Ferrari Enzo $670,000. The most popular supercar ever built. The Enzo has a top speed of 217 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Only 400 units were produced and it is currently being sold for over $1,000,000 at auctions.

6. Pagani Zonda C12 F $667,321. Produced by a small independent company in Italy, the Pagani Zonda C12 F is the 6th most expensive car in the world. It promises to delivery a top speed of 215 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

7. SSC Ultimate Aero $654,400. Don't let the price tag fool you, the 7th most expensive car is actually the 3rd fastest street legal car in the world with a top speed of 257 mph+ and reaching 0-60 in 2.7 seconds. This baby cost less than half as much as the Bugatti Veyron, yet has enough power to compete against the most expensive car. It is estimated that only 25 of this exact model will ever be produced.

8. Ascari A10 $650,000. This badboy can reach a tested top speed of 215 mph, zooming 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. The British car company plans to assemple 50 of these supercars in their factory in Banbury, England.

9. Saleen s7 Twin Turbo $555,000. The first true American production certified supercar, this cowboy is also rank 4th for the fastest car in the world. It has a top speed of 248 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. If you are a true American patriot, you can be proud to show off this car.

10. Koenigsegg CCX $545,568. Swedish made, the Koenigsegg is fighting hard to become the fastest car in the world. Currently, it is the 5th fastest car in the world with a top speed of 245 mph+, the car manufacture Koenigsegg has just released the Koenigsegg Agera R to compete against the Bugatti Veyron. The company is a tough contender and will continue to try and produce the fastest car in the world. Good luck with that!