[QUOTE=flyer_phil;595539]Hi
For example years ago I had a Pontiac Firebird which I had brought with me on returning from the USA. It had a 5 litre V8 with a manual gearbox. People use to disbelieve me when I told them I got 26mpg in mixed driving and 30 mpg on a run.
However the reason was that it was a big lazy V8 that produced only 175 bhp but a huge 300 ft ilbs of torque and only revved to about 4000 rpm. Had it been an automatic, that would have lost me 3-4 mpg say therefore 23 - 24 mpg.
Heard recently on Top Gear when he was testing a sports Merc I think it was, that the twin turbo's suck over a 125 bhp. out of the engines power to run!!!!
