Video: Homemade car claims more than 100 mpg

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A Bellingham man is hoping to make history with his homemade car.

It's a roll-out that will stop gas conscious consumers in their tracks.

Craig Henderson's sleek, two-seat sports car is called the Avion. It's powered by a 3-cylinder stock Mercedes engine, reaches a top speed of more than 110 mph and is fueled with straight diesel.

In the Avion, 2 liters of diesel equate to 50 miles. That translates to 100 mpg.

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Craig Henderson's Avion

Under optimum conditions Henderson has maxed out fuel economy at 114 mpg.

Henderson says it's the Avion's aerodynamics and light weight (less than 1,500 pounds) that really make it fly.

"More like an airplane really, than a car," he said.

Henderson is one of about 120 developers competing in the next X Prize contest - the same outfit that got civilians orbiting the Earth in entrepreneurial spacecraft. $10 million is up for grabs to the maker of the most commercially developable car getting 100 mpg.

If mass produced, Henderson says the cars could sell for as little at $20,000.

"I'd say we manufacture and mass produce them and make money doing it, have happy customers and save the planet," he said.

On Saturday Henderson plans to test drive the Avion from the Canadian border to Portland to try to break his record of 114 miles per gallon.