PUBLISHED 3/26/08 ----

Bolt the doors and break out the Bunsen burners: The folks who offered a $10 million award to the first group to build a successful, privately-funded manned spacecraft are at it again. And this contest could have more immediate ramifications for society at large.

The X Prize Foundation is offering $10 million for a production-ready vehicle that gets 100 miles per gallon.

Some 60 teams from nine countries have already signed up for the competition, including a Bay Area  electric-car builder and a team from Cornell University.

Applications are open until mid-year, when the field will be narrowed to the most qualified contestants. The field will be be further whittled, culminating in  cross-country races that will consider speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance.

The sponsors don’t want a mechanical freak show of impractical oddities. Competitors must have four or more wheels, hit 60 mph in less than 12 seconds, and have a minimum top speed of 100 mph and a range of 200 miles. There’s also a separate category for so-called alternative vehicles, which must have a top speed of 80 mph and have a range of 100 miles.

The contest promises some interesting and perhaps amusing spectacles, but if the outcome eventually helps us all realize more bang for our ever-diminishing buck, it will be even better.