It's a glimmer of gold and black topping out at 75 mph.

No stops for gas. Just food, rest and friends. But it's a looker.

Power of One, a solar-powered car trekking across North America on three wheels, stopped at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Creator and driver Marcelo da Luz told his story to students and faculty members before continuing a tour to extend his world record for distance traveled in a solar car.

For this odyssey, da Luz quit his 10-year job as an Air Canada flight attendant. He ran up his credit cards and took a couple of mortgages out on his house to come up with $100,000-plus to pay for the materials that went into the car.

Da Luz wants to inspire people. He wants people to realize that a car like his can handle even a 450-mile stretch of gravel across the Arctic Circle.

The trip started 11 months ago in Buffalo, N.Y.

Da Luz drives on his back, toes pointed forward, his face peeking out through the window of a hump on the roof. He steers with handlebars.

The car has no rearview mirror. Instead, a camera behind him transmits to a tiny screen mounted on his sunglasses.

He drives at least six hours a day in good weather. Lack of sunshine was no problem in Tampa.

Da Luz tilted the solar panels to the sun, keeping an eye on the crowd and asking the curious to step aside. Da Luz needs as much sun as possible to generate the car's 900 watts.

Power of One, for all its efficiency, lacks an air conditioner or heater.

The car seats only one. That's a problem. Da Luz, 40, hopes for a family.

He's looking forward to developing a bigger, better car, as practical as this one is efficient.

Power of One is still a test.