Supersonic Skydiver Felix Baumgartner's pressure suit would have looked at home next to this car, Volkswagen's production-ready XL1 plug-in hybrid heralded as the car of the future.
The Germans built this machine as a sort of technological showcase to prove what they are capable of and in order to develop technologies that will be used in road cars as well.
Thanks to a 2-cylinder turbo engine (half of the regular 1.6 TDI engine) and an electric motor, this is the cleanest Volkswagen ever made, capable of delivering 261 miles per ever gallon of fuel (0.9 l/100km).
Baumgartner was impressed by the silent drivetrain, but also by the way the cabin is laid out, with the passenger sitting slightly offset to the drive. To reduce drag, the XL1 has no mirrors, instead using cameras and dip lays installed into the doors.
The XL1 is more than just a limited-edition toy. Its technology will find its way into the golf you drive in a couple of years, and the 0.8 TDI engine will be the basis for a hybrid version of the Up! city car.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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