Auto News 5

With its shapely sheetmetal, usable cabin, and production intent, the 261-mpg Volkswagen XL1 seems too good to be true. But to believe in the Volkswagen XL1, you simply have to recognize that the Bugatti Veyron exists. Both cars are pet projects of Dr. Ferdinand Piech, the authoritative chairman of the Volkswagen Group's supervisory board who is drawn to extreme cars. And after delivering a 260-mph supercar, Piech is now set on building a 260-mpg ecocar. While a hyper-efficient two-seater may not be as sexy as a Veyron and could never command its $1.7-million price, the engineering and ingenuity behind the XL1 is just as impressive as that which went into the Bugatti.

With the lowly Corvette ZR1 and a fresh Porsche 911 Turbo yapping at its hooves, the prancing horse rises to the asphalt-kicking cause. Ferrari's 458 Italia not only eclipses the performance of every challenger save the Bugatti Veyron, it lifts the normally-aspirated bar to heights that will probably never be topped.