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Lamina concept car aims for 1275km per litre


An experimental design team hopes to usher in new advances in car design and environmentally friendly travel with new ideas.

A team from California Polytechnic State University in the US has developed a prototype vehicle that weighs just 45kg.

The tiny weight of the Lamina - latin for blade - has been achieved by making the aerodynamic shape able to structurally support the load of the drivetrain.

The all-in-one approach to the platform and body extends to the mechanical set-up, with the Cal Poly Supermileage Vehicle Team developing an engine and drivetrain in a modular design that can be removed in a single block.

The team will enter the Lamina in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas 2012, to be contested at the end of March in Houston, ironically the capital of oil-rich Texas.

The Lamina will be aiming to beat an astonishing 1275km per litre fuel economy target.  Don’t bother reaching for your calculator - it’s equal to 78ml of fuel per 100km.

That makes even the most frugal car we’ve driven lately look ridiculously thirsty, but unless Cal Poly can show us where the audio system and cupholders are going to fit, the Lamina will probably bomb out in the US.