With all the talk of hybrid cars and fuel-cell technology saving gasoline these days, its refreshing to see that a lot can still be done with good engineering and technology that's been around for years. The Loremo AG is a lightweight diesel car that gets up to 157 miles per gallon, blowing other "fuel-efficient" cars out of the water. It weighs less than 1,000 pounds and seats four, requiring no hybrid technology, electricity, or fuel cells of any kind to achieve its amazing efficiency. Its no slouch in the performance department, either: it goes from 0 to 60 in about 10 seconds and has a top speed of 100 mph. While it's no Tesla Roadster, it's about a tenth of the cost of that electric speed demon at a mere $12,000. Plus it's pretty sweet looking. The Loremo is due to hit European roads in 2009, and we hope it'll make the jump to American shores soon afterward. — Adam Frucci

Loremo, via Treehugger