Okay, so my racing budget is pretty much gone for the year and I'm dreaming up things to do for cheap entertainment in my "off season".

What I'm thinking is a "one-tank trip". I've already plotted a trip that gives a lot of route options in the 400 mile range and good places to stop for lunch and dinner "checkpoints" along the way. The "fast route" is 414 miles, the "short route" is 390 miles. (I'd take the short route, it's mostly non-highway, lower speed, better MPG) I'll probably set a time limit to keep people from going too slow... something that will keep folks within 5 mph of the speed limit.

It'll be an all-day trip. Co-driver recommended so that you can take a break for a couple hours if you want to. No need to kill yourself, right? Schedule will probably be first leg 9:00am-11:30am, lunch, second leg 1-5pm, dinner, final leg 6-9pm, then hang out at the bar until it closes.

Basically, it's just an excuse to take a back-roads road trip and see if you can set a personal MPG record... but if enough people are interested, I might collect an entry fee and do prizes or something. Maybe even some "classing" if enough people want to compete in "not-quite-economy" cars.

Anybody?

PS: If you think this is easy... you obviously haven't tried it yet! Driving for peak economy for 9 hours straight take a great deal of skill and patience. And it won't be quite as easy as just "driving slow", because I'm going to set the time limit short enough to keep you moving.

 

i'm down, but isn't this a little anti-green

400 definately isn't in a tank for me, i've only got a 10 gallon tank, so a bit over 300 is all i really have in me, with the new exhaust, an oil change and a re-tune i'm sure i can get up to 35, but i still doubt i'll put 400 on a tank, but it'll be good to see

just please, no MRD

 

No MRD's , this won't be a true "rally". I'm not even going to bother with route instructions. That's part of the game. Y'all find your own "best route".

Yeah... 400 miles may be a little optimistic. I may look at shortening the route to about 350. Just about any car should have a 350 mile range.

Anti-green? Well, the fact that we're burning a tank of gas for no good reason may be. But, having just burned 3 tanks in my Yaris in the name of motorsports 2 weeks ago... and been part of a team that burned about 6 tanks in 24 hours racing last weekend... as far as an all-day motoring activity goes, it's about as green as you can get!

Besides, this kind of an "event" is about raising awareness and proving that "yes, you really can travel without driving 80 mph and settling for 25 mpg". I guess the real "green" part is that scoring will be based on how much fuel is used. Even if you opt to take a longer route... if you meet the time limit and use less fuel than anybody else, you win!

Oh, and it's about proving that I can still get better mileage than you can, even with the AC on. Maybe I'll bring my wife's car and give you a fighting chance, I've never really pressed for max economy in the Cooper. I wonder if I could top 40 mpg with it?

 

haha, i was just messin about the MRDs and the anti-green deal

and yeah, i forgot to mention my 30.x was highway windows up no AC mostly, and a little AC, i'm going to have to pull some hypermiler stuff

 

Do I get to divide my mileage by .85 if I run E85.. I can only get 324 miles out of a tank of that stuff. it would have to be a miles per dollar calculation, I can't compete with you with super but I can on E85

If you want to bring attention, I highly reccomend talking to the big ALT FUEL community there is tons of support for these events amongst that group..

I'd invite some of the TDICLUB guys to humiliate you. some of them get 800miles on a tank.. but since their fuel is more expensive it might be closer then you think mi/$

and sprinkle in a priui or 3 and it can be quite fun.. I'll donate the new shop as a starting point Ironically enough it's currently a Biodiesel factory. and I intend to have CNG/Ethanol conversions become a major part of my business, since both energy plans have HUGE pushes for alternative fuels.

this could be fun..

 

I don't want to complicate things too much, Jeff. This is just a simple diversion. Something to kill some time.

Give everyone a gas station to fill at, and have a driver's meeting somewhere within a couple miles of there. Seal their gas caps and launch them rally-style at a 1-2 minute interval.

Have some checkpoints more as places to gather and eat and BS than anything else.

Then end at a gas station to fill up each car and determine the results.

I don't particularly want to play the E85 game, or really even diesel unless I have to. It would add hassle to my logistics. But, if I did go there... I'd still only be looking at gallons consumed. This isn't about the politics of what the fuel is or where it's from, just a simple competition for some local guys to entertain themselves.

 

Alt Fuel: It's not a game, it's a way of life

Good luck. my 27MPG (31 if I REALLY try) won't impress anyone.. and I actually enjoy giving every Prius driver a nice 6th to 4th downshift so they can get a good whiff and actually see my carbon footprint, as I rocket past them, I'm feeling this event isn't for "ME"

I know, I know. I'm the guy that drives an electric scooter 4 days a week, knows all the bus schedules in tampa, and has CFLs in every socket. Yet thinks Prius drivers are misguided lemmings... Either I have a high level understanding of real vs. false economies, or I need a shrink.

PS> in almost every economy model the Yaris hands the Prius it's arse, unless of course you use the "chicken little" $8 a gallon model.

 

i'm in the same boat, but the way i figure it Loren will give us a nice route, i can go for an easy "sunday drive" with a friend and have lunch and dinner with some new people

 

Well, you could actually do okay, Jeff. IF enough people are interested, the first method I'd use for classing would be simply displacement.

Probably under 1.6 liter, then 1.61-2.2, 2.21-2.8, and 2.81 and up. Something like that for starters. So, your 30 mpg would be up against cars with 2.2-2.8 liters.

(of course, the truly "green" way to class would be on the carrying capacity of the vehicle)

 

Three cars does not an economy run make. I guess this idea is dead.