If you are an exotic car enthusiast, you likely pay close attention to technological changes and developments in the vehicles that you love. You may be tech-savvy enough to understand what is going on underneath the hood of your vehicle. This is a good thing, as not only will understanding your car help you to become a better driver, particularly in a finely tuned exotic car, but it will also help you to avoid being scammed by the ill-intentioned.
However, not everyone is quite so aware of what is going on under the hood. The following urban legend is pervasive and long-lasting, having circulated for at least sixty years. It seems to have become popular again recently, as hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and other high-tech engines have captured the attention of the mainstream.
The Miracle Carburetor
There are a few different versions of this story, all of which are false, according to Snopes. One of the most common goes something like this. A couple from middle America decides to purchase their dream vehicle, a high-powered exotic car, for an upcoming cross-country road trip. As the miles pass, they are surprised to realize that their gas gauge barely moves. By the time they reach their destination, thousands of miles away, they have bought gas only twice. The same happens on their return trip as well. Naturally, they are excited about this unprecedented gas mileage. The wife writes a letter to the company to express her thanks. A few days later, they are awakened in the early morning by strange noises in the driveway. The husband goes to investigate and finds two men in business suits tinkering under the hood of the car. They take off in a nearby car, and the husband finds nothing wrong. From that point on, however, the car gets normal gas mileage. It turns out that the car was a research model fitted with a special device to allow it to get outstanding fuel mileage. It was never meant to be sold to the public, and the strange men were researchers who retrieved their device.
The legend seems to be based in our overall suspicion of collusion between car manufacturers and oil companies. We believe that there must be a better alternative, but we are not permitted to access it. As fuel prices soar and new alternative technologies are released, it becomes easy to believe the story. Nonetheless, it never happened.