What better way to show a vehicle's performance capability than to have it participate in a race.
Except this particular race, sponsored by the Norwich Area Global Warming Action Group, is somewhat different from the Le Mans or the Indianapolis 500.
This was a race of five hybrid vehicles and the goal was not to be the fastest vehicle but to be the most efficient.
Participating vehicles in the race's first year include the (now discontinued) Honda Insight and, of course, a Toyota Prius. A Volvo station wagon represented standard gasoline-powered vehicles.
The 2000 Honda Insight was the winner with its posting of 74.9 miles per gallon. Owner Hester Barres, admitted that he used a few tricks to win. He cooled the gas tank, for example, to make the gasoline more dense and slower to burn.
The Volvo came in last with a posting of 20.9 miles per gallon. Ouch.
According to Bill Champagne, who organized the event, Toyota has shown interest in supporting another race next year.
Our take? Fuel efficiency is nice and all that, but most enthusiasts prioritize speed over mpg need. We suggest Tesla (pictured) bring its vehicles next year to catch our eye.