As Modern As The Hour

For over a decade, VW's been working on an automotive holy grail—the "1-liter" car. It's a vehicle that can travel 100 kilometers (62 miles) using just 1 liter of fuel (0.26 gallons). This comes out to an astonishing 235 mpg. . .

But development continued, because, as Piech said, "We could gain the knowledge to build a 2-liter car." Before the 1-liter prototype was retired to the company's museum in Wolfsburg, I had a chance to drive it. The experience was enthralling and offered a glimpse of a future where supercars are no longer huge, heavy V8 leviathans, but instead are delicate, gossamer creations capable of being coaxed for miles on a thimbleful of fuel. There was even an ethereal mode of operation called "sailing," where the motor stopped and the exceptional aerodynamics and high-pressure tires allowed the car to glide silently for miles.