YouTubers Try DYI Fuel Saving Methods With Interesting Results

The guys at Driven Media decided to ask one of the most important questions for any motorist with today’s gas prices.
What’s the best way to improve our MPG was the problem, and let’s just say the methods and answers were a bit unconventional. They took three junker cars that are not known for their economy and tried to turn them into econoboxes using just 50 British pounds (58 USD). Each member of the trio came up with his own unique solution.

First up, we have a first-generation Audi TT. It had every panel gap and air intake taped up, along with its wheels covered, and vortex generators stuck on top of it in a bid to improve the aerodynamics. A rather silly look but with valid reasoning behind it.

The next one to show up was a Jaguar XJ8 that was surprisingly unmodified. Well, sometimes, it’s what’s on the inside that matters. In this case, it was Formula 1 spec fuel that was inside the old Jag powering the thirsty V8. Scott Mansell figured out that the higher octane would mean the fuel burns cleaner, and he could take the drive using less throttle.

The final contender was a Mercedes SLK 320  turned longtail via the use of cardboard. An interesting creation indeed, if not a bit ungainly looking, yet again hedging its bets on aerodynamics. Okay, maybe ungainly is not the right word as it had the overall aspect of something drawn in Microsoft Paint by a 4-year-old.

With their baseline MPG established, they embarked on a 47-mile (75-km) trip to a village called Bell End, quite fitting for the way they decided to mod their cars. The mission was to see which of the three cars could improve its MPG by the highest margin. After a trip filled with bickering between the trio and laughs from other motorists, the journey was completed. The time had come to see what the results were.

Surprisingly enough, the best way to save fuel is to pay a load of money on premium fuel, which kind of defeats the purpose. With the Jaguar taking the top spot with an improvement of 6 MPG, two contenders still remained. As it turns out, the best way to make your car more economical is to turn it into a Frankenstein-looking creation and stick some cardboard on it. The SLK managed to improve its fuel efficiency by a total of 3.5 MPG, while the duck-taped TT only managed an improvement of 3.