Top Gear America to Build 70MPG Car Out of a 1971 VW Rabbit for $7,000

By Adam Frucci

Sure, you can get a fuel-efficient hybrid car, but it'll cost tens of thousands of dollars. That's too much for the Top Gear America crew, who've set out to build a 70MPG car for $7,000.

They're doing this by buying a 28-year-old Volkswagen Rabbit, driving it up to CWS Tuning in Saskatchewan, replacing the engine with a "modern, computer-controlled, turbocharged VW TDI engine" and then driving it down to UCLA where aerodynamics professor John McNulty will help, as they say "make the car more slippery."

And for reference, a 2009 Toyota Prius achieves 48MPG and costs $22,720, while a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid achieves 40MPG and costs $24,320. This thing will get 70MPG for $7,000.

It's a downright awesome project, one that they'll be covering step by step online via video and images. And they're looking to get the internet to name it for them, so look for the Ballsmobile to hitting the road in the near future. We can't wait.

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