Ferdinand Piëch, the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group had promised the development of a different version of the Volkswagen ultralight XL1 sports car. The original version of the car was a real technological showcase, it was eco-friendly and cost more than $120,000. The XL Sport in the 200 millionth car produced by the Volkswagen Group. This model got rid of the XL1’s 47bhp two-cylinder turbo diesel and replaced it with a more powerful one: the 197bhp V-twin engine from the Ducati 1199 Superleggera motorbike.
The microcar weighs around 1,962 lbs (890kg). The Volkswagen Group says that the XL Sport will get from zero to 62 mph in 5.7 seconds. The top speed it can reach is 168 mph which might provide a great unrest, considering the height of the vehicle. However, the bike-engined Volkswagen XL Sport is unlikely to get close to its eco-friendly older brother’s official economy figure of 313mph. No one can argue with the fact that the new Volkswagen XL Sport has raised the standards in the development of lightweight sport cars.
[ads2]
The car’s design concept is built on the dynamic design of the XL1. Its surfaces have a muscular appearance and become even more impressive as they extend towards the fenders and the wheels. The XL Sport has a broad front section which has incorporated dual LED headlights as well as the previous model’s signature daytime running lights. The XL Sport is featured with air intakes around the headlights, in order for the vanes to properly feed the air around the car’s front. The front section of the XL Sport car does not seem to have a usual radiator grille. Horizontal lines bring out the design of that specific area.
The cooling air for the Ducati engine is provided through vents in the rear fender. At the rear, the XL Sport has four different amazing features, such as an extremely wide and flat rear with shoulders above the wheels, as well as an extendable spoiler in the back and a coupe-resembling roof line which lacks a windshield. The rear hatch which meets the roof line conceals the engine, the transmission and the 3.8 cubic feet luggage space. The steering wheel of the XL Sport has red stitching as decoration elements and it has been equipped with aluminum-alloy shift paddles for rapid gear shifts. For more about the new XL Sport, check this out.