(03-20) 04:00 PDT New York --

The X Prize Foundation, best known for its competitions promoting space flights, is offering $10 million to the teams that can produce the most production-ready vehicles that get 100 miles per gallon or more.

The foundation is to announce the size of the purse and its sponsor, Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., today at the New York International Auto Show.

More than 60 teams from nine countries have signed up for the competition so far, including San Carlos electric-car maker Tesla Motors and a team from Cornell University.

Teams will be able to sign up through mid-2008, when applicants will be narrowed to those that can prove they would build production-ready, consumer-friendly cars. Those that qualify will race their vehicles in cross-country races in 2009 and 2010 that will combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance.

The purse will be split between two categories: mainstream and alternative cars. Mainstream cars must carry four or more passengers and have climate control, an audio system and 10 cubic feet of cargo space.

They also 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.

Alternative vehicles will be required to carry two or more passengers and 5 cubic feet of cargo, have a top speed of at least 80 mph and have a range of at least 100 miles.

"The environmentally friendly technologies created as a result of this competition will affect everyone who drives in ways we can't even imagine today," said X Prize Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter Diamandis.

Santa Monica's X Prize Foundation was founded in 1995 and gained fame in 2004 when it awarded $10 million to the first private vehicle to fly into space. The foundation since has launched a $10 million prize for rapid human genome sequencing and a $30 million prize for sending a robot to the moon.

This article appeared on page C - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Owning a cat 'cuts stroke risk by a third'

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Scientists said owning and stroking a purring feline may reduce stress and anxiety, and so protect against cardiovascular disease. They found even those who no longer owned a cat benefited from these protective effects.

The researchers from the University of Minnesota, looked at nearly 4,500 adults aged between 30 and 75 and found that cat owners had a 40 per cent lower risk of suffering a fatal heart attack.

But the authors warned against people rushing out to buy a new pet. They said while moggies may have a calming effect, it was unclear whether the kind of people who opted for a cat in the first place may have a lower risk of heart attack.

Heart disease is Britain's biggest killer. Every year, about 270,000 people suffer a heart attack.

The study, led by Professor Adnan Qureshi, factored in other heart disease risk factors including smoking and diabetes. The findings were unveiled at the International Stroke Conference.

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