the fastest Volkswagen machinery that pops up on our radar, but it is rarely, if ever, applied to anything conceived purely for economy. the limited-production Volkswagen XL1 lacks the outright pace to get us overly excited, its claimed 261-mpg combined consumption.
Measuring just 152.8 inches long, 65.0 wide and 45.3 tall. A futuristic teardrop body design and enclosed rear wheels, as well as so-called e-mirrors using rear-facing cameras in place of conventional mirrors and a flat under-body.
The XL1 is based around a lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced plastic monocoque cured in the same autoclave as the upcoming Porsche 918 Spyder. A suspension with double wishbones up front and a rear semitrailing link arrangement. It supports 15-inch magnesium front wheels shod with ultra narrow 115/80 profile tires and 16-inch magnesium rear wheels with conventional 145/55 tires. The brakes use carbon-ceramic discs to help lower weight.
The passenger seat is mounted slightly behind the driver's. Turn the key, release the electronic parking brake, slide the gear lever back a few notches, and the XL1 hums away from a standstill on electric power.
The XL1's compact drive-train, a tiny 800cc diesel engine producing 50 hp and an electric motor making 27 hp. They drive the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A 2.64-gallon tank in the rear contains the diesel. A 5.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery mounted in the front of the passenger foot-well delivers charge to the electric motor.
The Volkswagen XL1's price has yet to be revealed. The XL1 can run on diesel power, electric power or, in so-called boost mode, a combination of both sources for more sprite performance. In boost mode, the diesel and electric motor generate a combined 68 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque. In hybrid mode, the system's electronics cap output o hit what Volkswagen engineers describe as the sweet spot between performance and economy.
A 1,753-pound curb weight, the little bugger can reach 62 mph in 12.7 seconds and hit 100 mph on the top end. The overall range is 280 miles—37 miles can be traveled on electricity alone. Volkswagen is tight-lipped on long-term XL1 production plans. At first, just 50 of the coupes will be built, though VW development boss Ulrich Hackenberg hints at another 150 if there is enough demand.
While there are no immediate plans for North American sales or leasing programs, you can bet some of the car's technology will go mainstream.
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