donn (12/03/82)
For the record, I own a VW Beetle, manufactured in November of 1969, 1970 model year, and it has 178000 miles on it. The engine was rebuilt at 130000 miles. In the year it was made the freeway cruising speed was indeed 70 MPH, and the Beetle could and did drive at that speed. My younger brother owns a 1971 Beetle and he makes a point out of driving as fast as possible in it when I'm along (because he knows I don't like it) and I can verify that the Beetle is capable of sustained freeway speeds of at least 80 MPH. (The Beetle is not a put-put.) You have to remember that the Beetle has no radiator, though, and while the engine normally runs hot, overheating is rather dangerous. Even though the Beetle was manufactured in the days of sky-high speed limits, that doesn't mean that its efficiency curve was suited to the freeway cruising speed. Three or four times a year I drive to San Francisco from San Diego, a distance of a bit under 500 miles, and since my gas gauge is busted I keep track of the distance in order to know when to refuel. Usually I try to stay between 60 and 65 MPH, and I get 37 MPG, very regularly. I once did the route at the same speed as the trucks (I was in a hurry), about 65-70 MPH, and the efficiency fell to 35 MPG. I suspect that many American cars have similar speed- efficiency tradeoffs. Donn Seeley UCSD Chemistry Dept. RRCF ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdchema!donn