RE: VW confirms XL1 production

[X5TUU]

The future is here ........

Just wish I could afford one lol ... it ain't gonna be cheap

[Triumph Man]

I have to admit I quite like that. I'd happily drive one. Those photoshops minus the spats (I know in reality the rear track is very narrow) looked fantastic.

[henrycrun]

Just 2 seats? Fore and aft seats must be lower drag.
A shame that Carver couldn't make it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carver_(automobile)

[Mr Gear]

Pistonheads take note: Your readers are more interested in this than the latest Golf diesel warm-hatch. VW do make interesting stuff... but a Golf diesel isn't it.

[aizvara]

dasherdiablo1 said:

Possibly the ugliest VW ever made? In fact I can't think of an uglier one- Just my opinion but to me it looks like something that was designed in the 60's as a vision of what the cars would look like in 2020.

I think my feelings on the car's looks are the exact opposite of yours, for the very same reason.

[davepoth]

Debaser said:

McWigglebum3rd said:

Anyone called it a FWD piece of st yet?

It's RWD, and for that reason alone it's more interesting than most new car announcements.

It's nearly as cool as a SsangYong Rodius.

My thoughts immediately turn to a turbocharged Hayabusa engine. It'd be at least as interesting as a Toyota Previa then...

[va1o]

I'm surprised and impressed this is going to production, the economy figures are staggering and years ahead of anything else on the road. Very much looks like a concept car still, except its not. Going to be expensive though and will probably make the £40k Golf R Cabriolet seem good value

[Cyrus1971]

WOW - at last the blend of engineering, common sense, practicality and credibility I need for a Eco car.

Given VW pricing at the moment it will be £40K + so will not be bought by me. However if they made 400% more for 300% less profit they would sell them and make more money and dominate and become brand leader and get customers for life. Perhaps even live up to their name of a "Peoples car" once again ?

I predict that greed, debt and marketing types bonused on short horizons will destroy my hope. Despite what an amazing impact such a fantastic, innovative and charming car could have.

Sorry for the negativity, but feel like I may have seen it before. Toyota pricing was great on the Prius, however I would never buy one because it don't do one thing well but the XL1 does do one thing really really really well and that is economy. Hats off to VW designers and engineers, hats ON for VW sales ruining a good thing.

[astra la vista]

slomax said:

designed and built out of wood.

i remember that car.
it had a wooden engine and wooden wheels.
only problem was it wooden start...

[jonny142]

gl20 said:

The cars from Epcot's World of Motion circa 1983 finally become a reality..

Just had a Google ..Your only bloody right !

[X5TUU]

astra la vista said:

slomax said:

designed and built out of wood.

i remember that car.
it had a wooden engine and wooden wheels.
only problem was it wooden start...

BA BUM CHISHHHHHHHHH ... LOL

[cptsideways]

slomax said:

cptsideways said:

Genuinely interesting, though I am amazed it has taken manufacturers this long to come up with something like this. Its not like any of this is new is it.

A slimline low drag shell with an existing 3L engine could easily crack 200mpg


I'm sure this is something the kit car world should be coming up with

IT DID!!



comes in the form of this:


powered by a 2cv engine

apparently was virtually silent- (according to someone who has been in it at speed and the engine stopped in neutral)

was designed and built in Ireland out of wood.

I remember seeing this in the flesh & meeting its crackpot builder

[dandarez]

XL1 ? is it plagiarism?

VW been watching Gerry Anderson 1960's kid's stuff?
XL1 crashed if I recall. Not a good omen.

Move on to XL5 and see the future, or is it the past?

http://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/...

[W00DY]

Triumph Man said:

I have to admit I quite like that. I'd happily drive one. Those photoshops minus the spats (I know in reality the rear track is very narrow) looked fantastic.

The spats are awesome. It looks rather bland without them as well as being less efficient (but I would say that).

[cptsideways]

1983 !!

[whatthehell]

Given how the Prius get free road tax and other low consumption vehicles, the government should actually give its users money because its that bd kind to the planet. I think its a step in the right direction, but I'm betting the prices are going to be ridiculous for what it is, but hardly for supercar money, say 40-50,00?

[GhepardoGTS]

Oddly enough, the most interesting aspect of this is whether they managed to replace side mirrors with cameras while staying within road legality. I've read that Tesla tried with the Model S (hence the retractable door pulls), but could not get it through.

If so, we might see side mirrors vanishing in no time.

[Kolbenkopp]

Pity that they are so uncertain that real innovation will sell. From what is known today this will be a limited run rented out to a select few. Irrelevant basically. As long as they can make more money selling SUVs to the old money obese and the new money ambitious, why bother?

[kambites]

Kolbenkopp said:

Pity that they are so uncertain that real innovation will sell. From what is known today this will be a limited run rented out to a select few. Irrelevant basically. As long as they can make more money selling SUVs to the old money obese and the new money ambitious, why bother?

Even if they only sell a few of them it'll be a useful proof of concept and an interesting engineering exercise. If they produce it and it gets, say, 200mpg under "normal" driving conditions, I think it will get people thinking about what should be possible.

[Kolbenkopp]

kambites said:

Even if they only sell a few of them it'll be a useful proof of concept and an interesting engineering exercise. If they produce it and it gets, say, 200mpg under "normal" driving conditions, I think it will get people thinking about what should be possible.

You are right of course. But somehow they keep on doing this. Last time 12 years ago with the A2 and Lupo 3L. Things do a real world, repeatable 95 MPG with normal drivers and driving. In A2 guise surprisingly not rubbish to drive and about as usable as a period Golf. Used prices through the roof, people have caught on now.

Why another half "§$!" effort to "test the water" with this then? Sounds more like another "eco fig leaf" / marketing effort to me.