285 mpg

Electronic Telegraph: Volkswagen reveals world's most economical car. Front page news in Germany. What's not mentioned in this 5-liner is that outgoing VW Chairman Piech himself drove the prototype from the VW plant in Wolfsburg to the annual meeting in Hamburg. He had predicted that he would drive a 1 liter (per 100 km) car before retiring from VW. The prototype achieved 0.89, with an average speed of 80 kmh.

See also: The Nando Times: Bernd Pischetsrieder takes the wheel at Volkswagen