A CAR which its makers claim can do 190mpg and will cost under £8,000 has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Loremo uses just 1.5 litres of petrol per 100km – about a fifth of the petrol the average small car consumes over the same distance. It was given its public debut this week, three years before it goes on sale in this country priced at about £7,550.

Gerhard Heilmaier, Loremo managing director, said: ‘When the idea was first put to me I ruled it out because it seemed impossible. But slowly we realised that by paring down the interior and using plastic instead of steel to build the body we could build something that weighs not much more than a motorbike.’

The Loremo's body and windows are made from lightweight recyclable plastic. Its aerodynamic design will allow speeds of up to 100mph.

The Loremo will be offered in two models, the LS and GT. The LS is powered by a 20bhp, two-cylinder turbodiesel, while the GT gets a 50bhp, three-cylinder unit. Both are 2.2-litre with a 5-speed gearbox. The GT will go from 0-62 mph in nine seconds.

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