Britain will not be "shackled to a corpse" if it remains in the European Union, David Cameron said as the marathon referendum campaign entered its final hours.
The Prime Minister bristled at suggestions that the UK would be opting to stay with an organisation heading in the wrong direction as he was challenged to outline his vision for the country.
Mr Cameron instead attempted to reassure voters that he does not want Britain being part of a "United Europe" and claimed it has a "special status" to enjoy the benefits from the EU.
Read more: David Cameron - staying in EU will make UK stronger and safer
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, he said: "We are not shackled to a corpse. You can see the European economy's recovery. It's the largest single market in the world.
"The idea you have to choose between being a success in the European single market of 500 million and campaigning to have jobs and wealth created by trading with other economies - you don't have to choose, you should do both."
Mr Cameron went on: "The vision of Britain in Europe is we do have a special status, we have the best of both worlds.
"We're in that single market, we're driving that single market, there are lots of things that Britain can help Europe to achieve - whether it's tackling terrorism or signing better trade deals in the future - but we have our own special status protected.
"I'm a deeply patriotic person about this country. We have not been invaded for 1,000 years, we've got institutions that have served us well. I don't want to give that up to some sort of 'United Europe' and that's not what we're going to do.
"We're out of the euro, out of ever-closer union, we're proud Brits and really proud of what our country can achieve, but, frankly, we achieve more if we're in these organisations fighting for British interests and British values rather than standing outside for them."
Read more: David Cameron warns leaving the EU is an 'irreversible decision'
Mr Cameron also dismissed claims from his former policy guru and Leave supporter Steve Hilton, who said the PM was told it was "impossible" for the Government to fulfil its ambition to reduce net migration to under 100,000 while the UK remained in the EU.
The Tory leader said: "In your question you implied that somehow when Steve Hilton was working at Downing Street, for instance, that we knew we weren't going to hit this target. It's simply not true.
"When Steve Hilton left Downing Street in 2012, immigration, net migration was falling from around 220,000 down to 154,000."
John Humphrys intervened to note it is currently a third of a million, prompting the PM to show his frustration with the interviewing approach adopted by the presenter.
Mr Cameron said: "You'll interrupt yourself in a minute John if you don't watch it."
Mr Cameron said the aim to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands is the "right ambition" and "not an unrealistic ambition", adding that Brexit should not occur on the basis of it.
Read more: MEPs 'will not rubber stamp David Cameron's EU reform demands'
He said other economies in Europe are recovering, suggesting this could reduce the number of people coming to the UK due to a lack of jobs elsewhere.
Mr Cameron said: "As recently as 2008, if you look at the situation of British people and European nationals leaving Britain to go to Europe and European nationals coming to Britain, there was actually net negative migration in terms of Europe.
"We've had an extraordinary five-year period where we've created more jobs than the rest of the European Union put together. Now, that is not a normal period."
Mr Cameron said he believed the UK economy would continue to be strong, adding: "I also think that the eurozone economies are recovering.
"You saw growth of 7% in Ireland last year, you see Spain growing, France growing, Germany growing, so the fact is we've had an unnatural period."
Asked if he would continue to be PM regardless of the result, Mr Cameron replied: "I will accept the instructions of the British people and get to work on Friday morning to deliver them."
Mr Cameron spoke as he hit the campaign trail for a final time to squeeze out every last Remain vote with the outcome of the referendum on a knife-edge.
Vote Leave's Boris Johnson is also touring the country after using Tuesday's TV debate at Wembley Arena to criticise Remain for "woefully under-estimating" the country.
He said: "At the end of this campaign I think you'll agree there is a very clear choice between those on their side who speak of nothing but fear of the consequences of leaving the EU, and we on our side, who offer hope.
"Between those who have been endlessly rubbishing our country and running it down, and those of us who believe in Britain.
"They say we can't do it, we say we can. They say we have no choice but to bow down to Brussels, we say they are woefully under-estimating this country and what it can do."
He added: "If we vote Leave and take back control, I believe that this Thursday can be our country's independence day."
Elsewhere, a pro-EU letter to the Times was signed by 1,285 businesspeople employing 1.75 million workers.
The signatories include 51 FTSE 100 companies and 910 small businesses, and was backed by the likes of Sir Richard Branson, Carphone Warehouse boss Sir Charles Dunstone and Ann Summers chief executive Jacqueline Gold.
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