Probably a stupid car question...

[Taem]

...but when I was having my alternator fixed the other day, I got to thinking about how a car makes its electricity. My father-in-law told me he could take the battery out of his older car and it would run fine without a battery because the car generated its own charge.

How would he start the car without the battery?

After the car was started.

But it’s his tale, not mine! My "modern" car can't do anything unless every component is fully operational it seems.

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P.P.S.: Probably a stupid car question: The fuel consumption estimate shown in my girlfriend's VW, how trustworthy would it be? (horribly phrased, I know)

The biggest factor I've found (and this caught my eye since I got a 2011 VW GTI in November) is just how you drive it. But the sticker gives a pretty accurate ballpark. It's my understanding that those estimates are not written by the manufacturer.

As someone else mentioned in this thread, I also have a Mustang GT, but a 2005 model. When I first got the car, I drove it an average of 75-80-MPH in the long stretches on the 101-freeway from where I live to work; my MPG was coming in at 25-26. Now, I drive more conservatively at 65-70-MPH and my MPG is pretty spot on at 23. Both are outstanding numbers for a V8 engine with 6-gears, but I found it interesting that most informal sites I visit claim the best MPG you can achieve for your money is 55-MPH, but that info is either outdated, or incorrect and I can prove it with my car! The "best MPH" for fuel conservation ratio has to vary based on wind resistance and the aerodynamics of the car, combined with the fuel to energy ratio vs. payoff in regards to how fast your traveling. Maybe 55-MPH was the best for cars of the 80's and 90's whose engines weren't as well built the same as they are today, or perhaps its the sportscar build itself, but in any case, not all cars are developed equally it would seem!

EDIT: I should mention that over 80-MPH, even by a hair, and my MPG dropped significantly!