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Years ago, one of the most dangerous types of motorsports was board track motorcycle racing. As the name suggests, a steeply raked oval track made up of wooden boards was created and cycles with nothing more than an engine, frame and skinny wheels (no brakes, even) circled the track at high speed. Unfortunately, both the riders and the spectators were in extreme danger and after a few deaths, the races were shut down. Still, the vintage board tracker style remains a popular one even today.

Just as scooters have been setting sales records in these days of high gasoline prices, some see the moped as yet another logical way to save on some fuel. One potential problem, though, is that the moped isn't really seen as the fashionable statement that the scooter is. Derringer Cycles looks to change all that with its line of board track-inspired mopeds. Traditional pedals get the machine moving, and the extremely fuel efficient little engine takes over from there. Powered by a small Honda engine, expect top speeds in the thirty mile per hour range and fuel mileage of around 180 miles per gallon.


[Source: Autofiends]

Chris Paine, maker of the famous (at least in these parts) documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car," is planning a revival of the topic for his next film. Tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release and titled "Revenge of the Electric Car" (does the sequel look to get some inspiration from the Star Wars franchise?), it certainly wouldn't be a shocker if the electric car in question were none other than the Chevy Volt. While the first documentary focused on the destruction of the EV1 from General Motors - despite the fact that many past EV owners wanted to purchase them outright - the second film appears ready to welcome the electric car back from the dead.

We're not at all certain what the movie will focus on, but it is definitely true that electric cars are seeing a reincarnation of sorts. Tesla Motors, Fisker Automotive and General Motors all have plans to create new electric or hybrid vehicles in the coming years, along with many other major automakers. Even if it isn't the beloved little coupe, we join Mr. Paine and the throngs of ex-EV1 drivers in welcoming the electric car's return.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

The modern definition of a hybrid vehicle is any single machine with multiple sources of power. Usually, this means one internal combustion engine and one electric motor with batteries. This is again the case with the Biohazard Jet Bike, though its internal combustion engine happens to be a propane-fed turbine engine which spins at up to 112,000 revolutions per minute and produces forty-five pounds of thrust. The electric motor is powered by twenty-four volts of juice and is said to be good for eighteen miles per hour for up to twenty miles.

The bike also has pedals, though they are non-functional. From the looks of things, much of the cycle comes from the pedal-powered world, with a front fork and wheels cribbed from the bike world for sure. Still, this machine looks like lots of fun, and jet engines have been known to run on nearly any combustible fuel, including our personal favorite: biodiesel.

Related:

• Inventive minds attach a jet engine to a Honda Ruckus

[Source: eBay Motors]

Although the first two generations of BMW's revival of the Mini brand have been sales sensations and are nothing if not fun to drive, the Bavarian company's true engineering merit has always been with rear-wheel drive vehicles. So, it isn't at all surprising that the huge sporting automaker from Germany is looking to co-develop its next front-wheel drive Mini platform with Fiat. Though it could be argued that the Fiat 500 is a direct shot across the bow of the retro-style Mini Cooper, the money savings from platform sharing was apparently just too much to resist for the two automakers.

Fiat certainly has a long history of producing fine small cars, and its current Punto and Panda-based 500 have received rather good reviews from the European motoring press. What's more, BMW has always used engines developed in cooperation with other manufacturers for the Mini. Still, it seems odd that the two marque's would go at each other with vehicles built off the same underpinnings. We'll just need to wait and see how well the two vehicles are differentiated from one another.

[Source: Reuters]

Click above on the Ego concept for more images of VW's 2028 concepts

Apparently, Volkswagen thinks its time for another weird and wacky look into the future. This time, the German automaker is gazing just twenty years ahead. The results of its future look are three virtual concept cars. Yes, all three are capable of driving themselves, as you would likely imagine. As would be expected of any self-respecting gaze into the future, petroleum is not part of the picture. In its place are biofuels for those who simply must have liquid fuels and, of course, electricity. We feel pretty confident that these projections are possible, but that's right about where any semblance to reality ends.

After taking a leisurely stroll through the über clean park, a father and his son are reminded that it is time to leave by a hologram. What car to have delivered? The VW One wouldn't do, as it only seats a single occupant. The VW Room is overkill, as it is intended for an entire family. So, the son chooses to summon an Ego, a two-seater sportscar concept complete with user-defined green flames.

[Source: Volkswagen 2028]

The first installment of Transformers pushed some serious gas guzzling on movie audiences by way of the upcoming Chevy Camaro (with V8 power, naturally) and a Hummer. Our esteemed Mr. Blanco was less than impressed by the movie's lack of green credentials. After all, being nothing more than a movie, a perfect opportunity presented itself to introduce the movie-going world to clean transportation. It now sounds as if Mr. Bay and General Motors have seen the green-tinted light, as rumors now suggest that GM's upcoming green poster-child will indeed make an appearance in the highly-anticipated Transformers sequel. We anxiously look forward to seeing the Chevy Volt in production form in the next Transformers movie, and it would be some serious icing on the cake if we witnessed it transform into some kind of awesome gas-guzzling-robot butt-kicker along the way.

Remember too that GM will be showcasing another gas-saving vehicle in the upcoming flick in the form of the Chevy Beat. For our two-wheeled fans in the reading audience, Mr. Bay will also be featuring a female robot in the form of a Pepto-pink Buell.

[Source: Reuters]

While we are currently paying more at the pump than ever before, many of our readers likely remember that this is not the first time the country has faced a sudden increase in gas prices and the desire for higher fuel economy. In the early seventies, both new emissions regulations and a shortage of gasoline in the U.S. turned the auto industry upside-down in just a few years. In fact, the first horsepower wars reached an apogee in 1970, with cars like the original Hemi Mopars, Chevrolet Chevelle LS6, and the GTO Judge reaching ever-higher into the horsepower stratosphere just to be knocked down a notch in '71 and again in '72. The muscle car days were officially on hiatus, and fuel economy was the new measuring stick.

Sound familiar? While cars today are producing more power than ever, fuel economy now seems to be just as important, if not even more so, than the horsepower figure. With that in mind, lets take a trip down memory lane (via the gallery below) at the advertisements immediately following the first gas crunch to see what may be in store for us in the coming years. If you have a favorite, click here to visit Oobject and vote.


[Source: Oobject]

A quick Google search is all that is required to find hundreds of stories of people who claim to have increased their fuel mileage by installing a hydrogen generator which extracts hydrogen and oxygen from water and funnels the gas into the engine. Some of the claims are pretty wild, and the Japanese company Genepax has again lit a fire under the topic of running a car on water. While the Genepax car uses a conventional fuel cell, most of the "kits" available on the Internet introduce a bit of gas into the engine which is then combusted along with the liquid gasoline.

It is, of course, natural to feel a desire to buy into the hype promised by these systems. The truth, though, is that large fuel economy gains are highly unlikely. Popular Mechanics has decided to build themselves one of these systems for testing. The mag intends to install the finished product in an automobile and report back. We're keenly interested in their findings, though we're pretty sure we already know what will happen. Stay tuned.

[Source Popular Mechanics]

Photo: Times of India

Over the years, the Pope has been driven around in quite a few different vehicles, which most people refer to as the 'Popemobile.' The last time the Pope visited the United States, for instance, his ride was a modified Mercedes-Benz M Class SUV which had been specially modified to accommodate his needs. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of creating vehicles specially for the Pope, and now Piaggio has joined in as well. Piaggio's contribution, though, features just three wheels and is made from the rickshaw platform which is popular in India, where the vehicle was created.

According to Ravi Chopra from Piaggio's Indian subsidiary, "These vehicles were given a complete look and feel of a Popemobile by putting a white coloured hood, white tyres, seat upholstery, and white body paint. The insignia on the doors is specially handcrafted. The entire vehicle was given a complete unique decor to suit the aura of His Holiness." Piaggio hopes that Pope Benedict XVI can find a use for the vehicle at the Vatican, perhaps when touring the gardens.

[Source: Times of India]

What choices do we realistically have when considering how to reduce our individual petroleum usage? Some people buy hybrid cars or scooters in an effort to cut down their fuel bills. Some carpool or take the bus to get where they need to go. Still others, though, take the horse.

Umm... sorry, the what?

Going back in time a bit, the horse was the most popular way to get around. When the modern car was first made popular, there were both horses and cars sharing American roads. It seems we could be headed that way again, at least if more people follow the example of a group of Washington State workmates. The group of people all work at the same dentist's office and decided that when gas topped four bucks per gallon that they would all get together and ride to work. And so they did. Police gave the riders special permits to ride in a pack down the road and the workers who didn't have horses followed on bicycles. Now, if we could just tackle that methane gas problem...

[Source: AP via Maryland Daily Record]