8. Loremo LS, GT and EV

Loremo (Munich, Germany) /// 120 mpg (LS), 80 mpg (GT), 95-mi. Range (EV) /// $23,000 (LS), $31,000 (GT), $46,000 (EV) /// evolution.loremo.com

This German company is championing the time-honored principle that low weight and low drag can combine to max out on fuel economy. Like many other AXP competitors, Loremo’s qualified group of engineers and entrepreneurs isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it’s taking proven tech in a new direction—and this is one helluva design. At around 1200 pounds, the base coupe weighs about half as much as your everyday sedan, but manages to squeeze in four passengers—two in the front by lifting up the entire front cowl and windscreen, plus two kids in the back with vestigial rear seats.

How it Works

Loremo was one of the few companies not to respond to multiple requests from PM before press time, but the impression we got from their unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show was that they’re entering the sporty LS coupe, a prototype of which has been spotted out on the test track. A modest 20-hp, two-cylinder turbodiesel feeds power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission, but this vehicle isn’t about the powertrain. With a 0.22 aerodynamic drag coefficient multiplied by a tiny frontal area, the coupe’s top speed and highway fuel economy should be outstanding (ultra-low-rolling-resistance tires help, too). And while a full electric Loremo could be in the cards, the three-cylinder, 50-hp EV is only going to reach jaw-dropping range if Loremo can hit its 1620-pound weight target—and that’s going to take state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries, fast.

Bottom Line

There’s a lot of early hype behind Loremo’s design, and it looks like that’s translated into a lot of early investment. The company’s plan to start production by 2009 seems feasible, with an off-the-shelf engine and gearbox already making up the guts of a fairly well-finished prototype. Whether all that money and resources translate into a serious competitor on race day remains to be seen.