Paris

Volkswagen XL Sport: The XL1, Version 2.0

by Frédérick Boucher-Gaulin
Volkswgen XL Sport
All photos
Photo: Gabriel Gélinas

The Volkswagen XL1 is a fantastic little car engineered and built for one purpose: to be as fuel-efficient as possible. As such, it sips only one litre of diesel per 100 km. Since it only weighs 795 kg, is it is also very direct, precise and fun to drive, but it is not a track-ready vehicle.

Some engineers have decided to solve this blatant design oversight: they removed the whole hybrid drivetrain, the batteries and the small diesel twin-cylinder mill. They widened the rear of the car for more stability, added more carbon fibre bits to provide downforce, all new suspension components and a DSG transmission. To power the vehicle, they had to find a small yet powerful engine. What a coincidence: Ducati (which is part of the VW Empire) is currently producing the world’s most powerful V-Twin!

With the engine from a Ducati 1199 Superleggera fitted behind the seats of the Volkswagen XL Sport, the performance is up to par: 0-100 takes 5.7 seconds and top speed is limited to 270 km/h. The little 1200cc mill revs to 11,000 rpm, and it develops 197 horsepower.

Just like the XL1, it is probable that Volkswagen won’t sell the XL Sport on our shores.

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