Roscobbc
Moderator
An efficient engine Andy!
Cough, Splutter - How Much MPG?! š±
- Thread starter GCorvette
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An efficient engine Andy!
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Be lucky your Corvette is not brand new in the USA and get wacked with the GGT tax
This crap will give you heartburn
Calculation Technique
The Gas Guzzler Tax for each vehicle is based on its combined city and highway fuel economy value. Manufacturers must follow U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) procedures to calculate the tax. The calculation uses a formula that weights fuel economy test results for city and highway driving cycles (the combined value is based on 55% city driving and 45% highway driving). Fuel economy values are calculated before sales begin for the model year.
The total amount of the tax is deter-mined later and is based on the total number of gas guzzler vehicles that were sold
that year. It is assessed after production has ended for the model year and is paid by the vehicle manufacturer or importer.
EPA and manufacturers use the same test to measure vehicle fuel economy for the Gas Guzzler Tax and for new car fuel economy labels. However, the calculation procedures for tax and label purposes differ, resulting in different fuel economy value
This is because an adjustment factor is applied to the fuel economy test results for purposes of the label, but not for the tax.
The adjustment is intended to help account for the differences between āreal-worldā and laboratory testing conditions.
EPA conducts fuel economy tests in a laboratory on a dynamometer (a device similar to a treadmill). Laboratory conditions can be different from real world conditions for such parameters as vehicle speeds, acceleration rates, driving patterns, ambient temperatures, fuel type, tire pressure, wind resistance, etc.
EPA studies indicate that vehicles driven by typical drivers under typical road conditions get approximately 70 to 90 percent of the laboratory test-based city miles per gallon (MPG) value and approximately 70 to 80 percent of laboratory highway MPG value. This difference is referred to as āin-use shortfall.ā
To account for the in-use shortfall, the city and highway MPG values listed in Fuel Economy Guide and shown on fuel economy labels are based on fuel economy test results of the city and highway tests plus three additional tests. The three additional tests measure fuel economy
1) at cold ambient temperatures,
2) at warmer temperatures with the air conditioner running, and
3) when operated at high speeds and high acceleration rates.
However, the combined city and highway fuel economy that is used to determine tax liability is not adjusted to account for in-use shortfall, so it is higher than the MPG values provided in the Fuel Economy Guide (www.fueleconomy.gov) and posted on the window stickers of new vehicles.
Tax Schedule
The IRS collects the tax directly from the manufacturer or importer of the vehicles.
The following table shows the gas guzzler tax rates which have been in effect since January 1, 1991.
The manufacturer or importer must pay this amount for each vehicle that doesnāt meet the minimum fuel economy level of 22.5 MPG
James Vette
CCCUK Member
When did classic american cars start becoming properly expensive? Was it in the 90s?
Roscobbc
Moderator
Expensive as compared with other, more traditionally accepted classic cars? - I think that certain, generally accepted American cars have always been expensive, like mid years C2 Vettesfor example, Hemi powered Mopar stuff, Shelby Mustangs, certain Cadillac years. What has changed perhaps is the huge excalation of prices of the more traditional accepted classic's, like Ferrari, Porche, Aston Martin and E Type Jags and the money men looking for an easy home for their money. We then saw what were the previous buyers of these sort of cars moving over to 'our' type of car and starting to pay stupid money for every day 'common and garden' cars like 65/66 Mustangs leaving the likes of 'us' with picking the best of what's left.
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
C3 vettes are still very underpriced I think when compared to almost anything else. At least an e type is worth what it costs to restore, the c3ās dont seem to be. Hence I went for an older restoration which hopefully may hold its own or slowly creep up. Any 70ās fords, mexicoās , capriās etc seem to be realising large sums. Chargers, challengers, chevelleās all seem to be way ahead of c3 ās if not a rare big block or LT 1.
Still prefer my 72 over a same year dino but the dino is 10x the price of the vette
whi knows where prices will be in ten years with the assault on fossil fuel burning ice vehicles. Could crash through the floor, I suppose a positive to take from that is that we will be crying 10x less than the dino owner 
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
The term ā lots of flash for a little cashā did apply to American cars in the UK once a few years old. As with most big cars they depreciated a lot. The one exception was always the corvette. It always held up well in terms of resale price.
Being of fibreglass body construction they held up well from the ravages of rust compared to say mustangs, Mopar offerings etc which rusted away in front of you.
Nowadays those challengers, chargers etc that were thrown away due to rust issues and money needed to fix them are in short supply compared to the C3 Corvettes which are plentiful. Hence the price difference. Mustangs, well they seem to be the flavour of the past decade or so, they are nice little cars and of course can carry 4/5.
As with all sports cars, the corvette will only carry 2. Sometimes thatās a bit of a drawback.
Being of fibreglass body construction they held up well from the ravages of rust compared to say mustangs, Mopar offerings etc which rusted away in front of you.
Nowadays those challengers, chargers etc that were thrown away due to rust issues and money needed to fix them are in short supply compared to the C3 Corvettes which are plentiful. Hence the price difference. Mustangs, well they seem to be the flavour of the past decade or so, they are nice little cars and of course can carry 4/5.
As with all sports cars, the corvette will only carry 2. Sometimes thatās a bit of a drawback.
Roscobbc
Moderator
Impressed it was 500 rather than a woosy 350!
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
I think there were more GT500ās about than GT350ās in those days. Boy, did it like a drink. Less than a Ā£1 a gallon in those days, ( thatās 4.54 litres to you youngsters)
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
bet you wish you still had that
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Staggering what the passage of time and the change in attitudes does .
Roscobbc
Moderator
Hasn't done the Fiat Dino any harm though!
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
As the then unloved Ferrari Dino 246 has reached astronomical prices, it has pushed its poorer cousin the Fiat Dino upwards. I always thought it was a nice looking car.
looking back at prices, it makes the old Wheeler Dealer one look cheap.
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Loved the Fiat Dino , a great looking car .
Stingray
CCCUK Member
I wonder whether the huge reduction in number of US servicemen coming over to UK and bringing their cars with them (no tax, no shipping) has altered the market for American cars.
Back in the 1990s I used to encounter scores of Camaros, Mustangs and others around the air bases and eventually many of them made their way into the hands of UK owners.
US and European cars aren't as "different" from each other as they used to be. Back in the day they had big V8s (or at least a base V6) while most Europeans were pottering about in 4-pots. Now all the manufacturers build cars for global markets with typical engines either V8 n/a or 4-pot turbo. 6-pots have all but disappeared.
Back in the 1990s I used to encounter scores of Camaros, Mustangs and others around the air bases and eventually many of them made their way into the hands of UK owners.
US and European cars aren't as "different" from each other as they used to be. Back in the day they had big V8s (or at least a base V6) while most Europeans were pottering about in 4-pots. Now all the manufacturers build cars for global markets with typical engines either V8 n/a or 4-pot turbo. 6-pots have all but disappeared.