This week has been a big one for the Volkswagen hybrid, dubbed XL1. Though I will admit first hand that its history predates me, I'll try to wing it a bit.
What we do know about the XL1 so far is that the concept debuted at last year's Qatar Motor Show with a diesel and electric powertrain said to deliver over 250 mpg (U.S.).
Being that it is a concept, speculation has said that the diesel motor could be replaced when/if the car goes to market.
Now the original product came about in the early 2000s, and really was a bare carbon fiber vehicle with an elegant canopy that opened like a fighter pilot. Looking around its Spartan interior, it's a hilarious amalagation of parts pulled from various VW products. My favorite is the headlight switch that's now serving as a gear selector between P, R, N, D.
Fast forward to the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show when the L1 made it's big time appearance. Though it had an updated look, it was very similar to the original model. Sure it had been prettied up extensively and now featured an 800cc motor coupled with an electric engine.
A couple of years and now we're at the 2011 debut, which is when the XL1 comes into play. Moving from the tandem seating arrangement, the XL1 is looking more like a tangible product that could actually see production. Weighing in at just over 1,700 pounds, and equipped with a two-cylinder diesel and an electric motor -- paired up with a DSG 'box --, over 250 mpg (U.S.) is possible says VW.
Here's where things get interesting: VW has said, as of February, that it will be producing a limited run of these vehicles for public consumption starting in 2013.
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