By the Grace of the Gas Gods Themselves: the 2010 Prius

It's here. Geeks and cost-consciousness revlers can rejoice. This car is to fuel sippers and coupon clippers as the Xbox is to video game junkies, and U2 is to multi-generational rock fans. This high tech space-pod gets 50 mpg on the highway, and 49 in the city.

Read about this amazing car below:

The combined E.P.A. estimated fuel efficiency breaks down to 50 miles a gallon on the highway and 49 in the city, for a combined gas mileage of 50. That’s an improvement over the current Prius, which gets 46 combined.

Toyota said a larger, more powerful 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, producing 98 horsepower, actually helps improve highway mileage. “By making more torque, the new engine can run at lower average r.p.m. on the highway,” Toyota said in a news release. Net horsepower from the gas-electric hybrid system is 134. “When operating at lower r.p.m., the new engine uses less fuel. Mileage is especially improved in cold-start conditions and at higher speeds.”

An electric water pump and a new exhaust gas recirculation system also contribute to the engine’s increased efficiency. Other improvements include: a lighter transaxle, which reduces torque losses by as much as 20 percent over the previous model, and a new cooling system for the inverter, which converts direct current to alternating current.

The 2010 Prius will be on sale this spring.

- Brewskie