Anyway, other potential benefits of the compressed air system would be the elimination of expensive catalytic converters, and - maybe - a less noisy engine.

Hooking up exercise cycles and other gym equipment to electric generators may be farfetched, but then too many of us are way too fat, and the idea of doing x number of hours of exercise in order to do a shopping trip in the aircomp car may be a great motivator.

Introducing one, though, would be far less risky for politicans, compared to - say - advocating gun control, get the Israel lobby upset or similar things. It may even be politically easier than demanding that Detroit make cars that are actually energy efficient.

Public referendums are fine, to a point. We do, however, elect politicians to govern, and to make hard choices, and politicians who have the guts to take unpopular, but neccessary, decisions will always be in short supply.

While even smaller than a regular small car, and unlikely to become a common sight on the roads anytime soon, it will for a long time remain so unusual that other motorists will still notice it. It is also a lot safer than a motorcycle, the other high-mileage option.

But I think that in the end it will be the 250 mpg that will sell it, as much as which price it will be marketed at.

- The spare tire
- The tool kit and the car jack
- The spare gas tank
- The pregnant aardwark
- The workshop manual

The 750 cc rule went the way of the dodo years ago, so big bikes are in. In addition it became legal to build the most outrageous choppers and hotrods, which they do in abundance.

The Jap kids are doing what every new generation of riders are apt to do: re-interpreting two-wheeled freedom, which is just the way it should be.

Stop whining. Now.