For a competition that still hasn't officially launched, the Automotive X-Prize has certainly been doing a pretty good job of making itself known, and we've now got yet more details on it courtesy of the folks at CNET. First up, it seems that the X-Prize Foundation will finally get official with the competition "sometime next year," although likely not before the New York Auto Show in the spring. Before that, however, the Foundation will be showing off some or all of the 43 contenders currently signed up at the Detroit Auto Show in January including, among others, Aptera's 300 mile-per-gallon car pictured above. What's more, given that the competition only seeks to find a car that gets 100 miles to the gallon, it would seem that Aptera would have a considerable advantage -- assuming it can actually back up its claims, that is. Hit up the read link below for a peek at some of the other competitors.

Aptera certainly managed to attract a fair bit of attention for itself earlier this year, when its concept car turned as many heads for its space age looks as it did for its promised 200 MPG range. Now the company looks to be taking the next step on the long road to availability, with it accepting pre-orders for the car, which apparently now boasts a range of 300 MPG in typical driving conditions. What's more, the company says its also readying an all-electric version of the vehicle in addition to the plug-in hybrid model, with promising to last for around 120 miles before needing a recharge. Both models will also apparently come packed with features, include driver and passenger side airbags, interior and exterior LED lighting, a "solar assisted" climate control system, and an "advanced drive computer" that includes GPS, a rear-view camera, and a complete vehicle diagnostic system. All that apparently comes at a bit of a premium over the initially-estimated $20,000 price, however, with the electric and plug-in hybrid models now set to run $26,900 and $29,900, respectively. If that's still in your ballpark, you can reserve yours now for a mere $500, with the first vehicles promised to be in drivers hands in 12 months or so.

[Via Digg]