Come November, the show-going public in Los Angeles will get a first-hand look at a VW-badged two-seat, mid-engine coupe and roadster, promises VW Chairman Martin Winterkorn. If public reaction is positive, the car could hit the streets as early as 2011.
The man in charge of the styling of the sports car will be none other than Audi’s Walter da Silva, who penned the 2006 Lamborghini Miura concept, says a report from U.K. car mag Autocar.
The lightweight car is to compete with the Lotus Elise, but be less costly. It will be powered by choice of four-cylinder inline-four engines set in a Porsche Boxster-like layout between the axles. A gasoline 1.4-liter turbo engine making 168 horsepower and a new 1.6-liter diesel with 125hp are under consideration. Either engine will put down its power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Thanks in part to an aluminum spaceframe, the car would weigh in at under 2,200lbs, delivering performance similar to a 200hp GTI’s while besting its fuel economy. An Audi version of the car is also likely, as is a Porsche derivative. The Audi car would probably use the 211hp 2.0TFSI engine, with the option of a twin-turbo 2.0-liter TDI good for 204hp. Porsche’s version would likely revive the 914 nameplate, which was also co-developed with VW.
07/21, 12:08 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Hmm, I want to get excited about this news… but i don’t know yet…
On paper a two seater, mid engined coupe/roadster sounds great…
“The lightweight car is to compete with the Lotus Elise, but be less costly” So that means it would cost under 43k U.S.D?
All I know is that if it looks decent, is affordable (for me costs around or under 30k), does weigh in @ or under 2,200lbs, and has a decent motor… I”d be interested in it…
07/21, 12:11 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
so is this just going compete with their own R32? i know those are high in price and if this new coupe is going to be cheaper than the elise, shouldn’t that put this coupe around 30k-40k ?
07/21, 12:14 PM
posted by:
xyunya
How much TT weighs? Is this another case of UP! with engine up the rear hatch? Why not drop new engines in TT and reduce it’s weight? Wasn’t Phaeton a halo car that sold well?
07/21, 12:21 PM
posted by:
02WRXPSM
I’ve driven a 914 with a Subaru STI 2.5liter boxer wedged in the engine bay (a perfect fit) and it was S I C K. A company in Vegas does the swap and conversion, parts included, for $10,000. Considering you can get a used 914 in great shape for $8,000, that’s $18k for a Corvette-killer.
This would NOT be competition for the R32, how stupid is that — the R32 is a hatch, weighs 3,400 lbs and is a rally car — a far cry from a roadster, two totally different vehicles in every way
07/21, 12:28 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
i mean price wise genius- if this is going to be priced around the same, it should be more than the R32 and less than the Elise, if cheaper than the R32, then why?
07/21, 12:28 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
So it’s going to be a TT/Boxster spawn with a little bit of Bug thrown in? Sounds like a disaster. Why don’t we go ahead and make it a little more obvious that VW, Audi, & Porsche are the same company… just like Chevy, Pontiac, & Caddy.
07/21, 12:35 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
Sounds good in concept, but VW will find a way to ruin it for enthusiasts.
07/21, 1:01 PM
posted by:
savedsol
Just make the GX-3!
07/21, 1:33 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Remember the VW W12 concept? I think that was pretty bad ass… Although VW making a super car was very unlike VW, why can’t they make it work with mid engine 2 seater…
That 914 sounds pretty bad ass 02WRXPSM…
Personally I think what VW should do, and I know they won’t but, I think they should price it in the high 20’s-low 30’s and have it compete with the Solstice GXP, Sky RL, and Mazda Miata Grand Touring, and Honda S2k…
Seeing that the Solstice GXP and Sky RL have the 260hp LNF and the Honda S2k has a 243hp V-TEC, if they dropped an Audi TT’s 2.0TFSI and offered that as the “R” version to compete with those… Then offer whatever smaller engine to compete with the base Solstice/Sky and Miata…
07/21, 1:33 PM
posted by:
MugenSentraKen
===>>call it a VW Slowweton…
07/21, 2:05 PM
posted by:
The Stig
A diesel mid-engine would be interesting.
07/21, 2:26 PM
posted by:
928dreamer
This will come in significantly lighter than the Solstice and Sky. Therefore, less power should still be OK.
I think we are seeing companies trying to find a way to meet CAFE standards. Especially Porsche, they need to find a way to slip a fuel efficient car into their lineup without diluting the brand. A super lightwieght roadster has promise.
07/21, 2:43 PM
posted by:
t-ak-box
If this help to keep the Boxster going then just build them. A nice mid-engine Coupe or Roadster is fine with me. Who says you can’t save fuel and have fun too.
07/21, 3:02 PM
posted by:
golf4me
So why don’t they share the components of this with the Up! instead of dumbing the Up! down (hmm) to FWD weenie-mobile status? Whoever made this descision ought to be put in the gas chambers. I like the concept of a real VW sports car, but I doubt Porsche will let them price it at sub-30k levels. It will kill Boxster resale, and their own version of such a car. I feel even the VW version will likely be 45k if it makes it here, and frankly that’s way too much $ for a small VW. I’ll bet this will never see the light of day anyway.
07/21, 3:04 PM
posted by:
xyunya
928dreamer, roadster will not help anyone to meet CAFE standards. VW has the most pathetic mileage especially for a car compamy known for building small cars.
07/21, 3:32 PM
posted by:
928dreamer
How could this not help meet CAFE standards. The 1.4l engine in the Polo gets 46mpg. Combine this with the DSG transmission and 2200lbs it should do even better. I think this should certainly improve overall fleet avg.
Porsche probably would not go with the 1.4liter, probably the 2.0T, but it should still get mid 30s. That is better than the rest of Porsches lineup. Porsche does better than most on fuel efficiency for the kind of car it produces, but it needs a small lightwieght sipper to help lower overall numbers.
07/21, 3:48 PM
posted by:
A4
dont get excited yet, itll never exist if porsche has their way, bastards
07/21, 5:34 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
Who cares anyways about this ****. I would need a ****ing garage to house a vanity car like this since it snows 300 days a year in Montreal.
07/21, 5:49 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
Reminds me of the Smart Roadster. This may be very interesting.
As far as killing Porsche sales, I don’t think this will affect Porsche. Many people buy Porsche just for the name.
07/21, 6:06 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Yeah the smart Roadster was a cool car… I swore if I had to own a Smart Car.. The Smart Roadster would have been the only Smart Car I’d drive… When I was just back in Rome I noticed that all the Smart Roadsters were of a different variant (they looked like they had hatches) from when I was in Europe in 07, and 06…
I think that this car has promise… But what will make it successful or flop will be it’s price…
If It’s more expensive then a fully loaded EOS, I can’t see it selling well at all…
07/22, 12:43 PM
posted by:
ktulu
this could B interesting
09/11, 2:39 PM
posted by:
ghm73
So… basically a VW MR2 Spyder? Toyota OWNED the market and still has (though out of production) the only MR roadster in the “affordable for most” price range. I would welcome one from VW. or a new MR2 from toyota – with more HP!!