Consumers aren't the only people who fret over their energy bills. Manufacturing engineers do, too.
Equipped with a 400-hp V-8 engine and a six-speed manual transmission, the Chevrolet Corvette gets 18 mpg in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway. That makes the Corvette more fuel efficient than many sport utility vehicles. But, oil executives still get the warm fuzzies whenever they see the sleek sports car go by.