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80 Miles Per Gallon, 400 horsepower Fox Body Mustang

 
11 12,955 views Jul 2, 2008

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If you think 80 miles per gallon and 400 horsepower don't go together you better think again because Doug Pelmear, a 48-year-old electronics engineer and master mechanic from Napoleon, Ohio has done just that with his 1987 Ford Mustang. 

Mr. Pelmear created his Mustang and more specifically the technologically advanced engine to compete in the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize: a "race" to find an affordable, marketable automobile that gets at least 100 miles per gallon.  The Progressive Automotive X Prize is sponsored by the X Prize Foundation.

Read more about Doug's Mustang after the jump...






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Comments (11)

  1. By scott mims Posted: 7/2/2008 9:05am PDT

    Precision fuel metering under high pressures I'll bet,humm....why won't the big auto makers incorporate the same practise? Look what an old hot rodder with limited resources can accomplish.
     
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  2. By Bill C Posted: 7/2/2008 8:32pm PDT

    80 mpg and 400 hp... ok, and my Dad lived to be 185 years old, and grape nuts mixed with christmas tree tinsel is cited for the reason for his longevity...GIMEE-A-BREAK...PAHLEEZE
     
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  3. By Mark F Posted: 7/4/2008 11:53pm PDT

    I attribute my Engineering degree for thinking critical about this article. While reading I notice the sentence "He said he could greatly increase even that number if his car used traditional gasoline instead of a mix of gas and 85 percent ethanol". To me this is like comparing the distance a potato gun can shoot if propane is used versus hair spray. Or in a biological analogy, comparing apples and oranges and saying that one of them is better because it produces more sugar. I believe that the claim that he is getting 80 MPG could very well be correct, however it is not 80 MPG on a gasoline driven engine. The claim is misleading. However, this still might be a viable option in the future, but until a economical and environmental analyses of ethanol based fuel is complete it is unknown to which is better, for both cost and environment. Even if he is getting 80 MPG!! Mr. Pelmear said that 'he could get even better mileage with a gasoline driven engine with his new technology' So why has he not done it?? Something to hide perhaps??
     
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  4. By kenny Posted: 7/9/2008 7:39pm PDT

    a traditional engine can run off of 85% ethanol
     
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  5. By  Dyno Posted: 7/21/2008 9:49am PDT

    Very curious to see exactly how he accomplished this.
     
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  6. By Mark F Posted: 7/24/2008 2:37am PDT

    Water Hybrids. Haha, In order to create energy out of water (ie hydrogen) you must separate the molecule. This is done by electrolysis. And as it sounds in the name, electrolyses requires electricity. Electricity is the best (highest quality) of energy available. Therefore, using electricity to breaking hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis does not make any sense, because you will need to uses (for all intensive purposes) 4 kJ of electricity to convert 2 kJ of water into hydrogen and oxygen which only deliver 1 kJ of energy to moving the car. (I stress these values are arbitrary but the principle applies). This whole time you could have deliver 4 kJ of energy from electricity to rive the car, even if only have of it is converted from electrical to mechanical energy. Point is It doesn’t make sense until there is a better way to convert water into hydrogen.
    Aside: Electricity is primarily derived from coal (in Canada anyways, I would assume the same for most countries).
     
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  7. By DONNYMAC Posted: 8/2/2008 3:51pm PDT

    I think if this guy has the secrets into getting 80 or 110 MPG, If he would like to make the money and help out, Get these Semi trucks getting better MPG most of your large trucks get 5 to 8 MPG, Even if he could get them to get 20 hell even 15 MPG Then groceries, well everthing you buy at the store, could be shipped cheaper, meaning less price, and not only that, We could be less depended on oil. Thank bout that. But love the Idea. I hope We get to see these cars hit the Market.
     
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  8. By fast401 Posted: 11/10/2008 7:22pm PST

    I think it's about time that an invention of this magnitude be made available to the public once the bugs are worked out. It seems that if something that benifits the general public it is soon bought and it is never heard about again (ie Moody Mobile). Get your patents and enjoy the cash and let the OPEC people swim in their oil.
     
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  9. By CougarKing Posted: 11/17/2008 5:41pm PST

    With all the other great shade tree mechanics that have developed high mileage carbs or water as fuel technology you'll probably find Doug Pelmear die suddenly from an "accident" or just be "missing" one day. Then you'll never see this Mustang again.
     
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  10. By chris smith Posted: 12/4/2008 2:47am PST

    well etahnol is great i converted my 600 horsepower mopar motor in my mustang and with it being 13.5 to one turbo blue is outta the question i was paying 7.50 a gallon and thats 110 octane e85 is like 107 octane and cheaper then regular gas now plus with it burning hotter and chemically cooling the motor down considerabley i sit in my garage at idle for 30 min and i hit maybe 150 on the temp gauge so there great advantages to e85
     
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  11. fb_1761388122 avatar Joseph Vignolo Posted: 2/13/2012 7:23am PST

    All of the claims made in this article need to be independently verified. Remember what Carl Sagan said: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
     
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