From BlueMotion to BlueSport, Volkswagen pulled the covers off its long awaited roadster concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit yesterday. Much anticipated and long expected, the two-seat convertible is not only a sports car, but a clean one, too, as a 178bhp 2.0-litre, 113g/km TDI engine is at its heart.
Resplendent in Silver Flex paintwork with an orange fabric roof, the 4.0-metre long, 140mph sportster builds on Volkswagen’s new design language, with the slim grille a nod to the hotly received Scirocco and Mk 6 Golf. Shorter than the former, but longer and wider than a Polo, the BlueSport’s taut, muscular lines hint at something much more powerful to come.
The ‘Clean Diesel’ TDI mid-mounted engine has common rail injection and a downstream nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter, delivering dynamic performance and 55mpg. O to 62mph comes up in a whisker over 6 seconds, and Volkswagen’s whip-cracking DSG dual clutch transmission provides the BlueSport with both economy and agility. A stop-start energy regeneration system is also fitted.
So, it has the looks, performance, and technology, but does the roadster have the handling to justify the ‘sports car’ tag? Purists should be happy, as Volkswagen have finally delivered on its promise and made a rear-wheel drive halo model, which should give a sporty drive. Of course, no-one will know if the German giant has cracked it until a production mode is unveiled.
Volkswagen’s staying tight-lipped about an affordable version, but reports say that insiders at the company state that the Concept BlueSport is not far off production ready. And, with new owner Porsche having the Boxster in its line-up, there could be a conflict of interests. Equally, though, the new car could spawn a whole plethora of affordable roadster models for the group, with ‘sport’ brands Audi and SEAT the obvious beneficiaries.
Do you think Volkswagen should put the Concept BlueSport into production and onto the road as it is or even with a different engine? Whatever your thoughts, leave a comment below.
Tags: Cars, Volkswagen