VW has come up with the EcoRacer -- a diesel-powered Elise-alike sports car. The concept, designed to deliver Boxster handling with Smart-style fuel consumption, was displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show and is based around a carbon fibre monocoque.
The new four-cylinder engine is mid-mounted and delivers 136bhp from its 1.5-litre capacity. It uses a new injection system that VW calls CCS, for combined combustion process. Performance from the 850Kg car is 6.3 seconds for the dash from zero to 60mph -- all at 83 mpg. The mill drives via the rear wheels using Volkswagen's paddle-operated, double shift gearbox (DSG).
Expect to see the technology in the next generation of VW Golf and Polo oil-burners sometime in 2007.
More details (and pictures) on Autocar.
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