Volkswagen BlueSport Heading to Mass Production?

Long rumored to remain in concept form, it might seem like Volkswagen BlueSport roadster might have the chance to enter mass production after all, according to a report by autoweek.com. When displayed at the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit this year, the concept was powered by a 2.0-liter common rail four-cylinder diesel unit mated to a dual-clutch gearbox. The powerplant generated somewhere around 168 horsepower according to figures revealed by the German manufacturer.

But in case it enters production, the car will have more than one engine to rely on, the aforementioned source wrote citing Mario Fabiano, project leader of Volkswagen BlueSport. At this time, the company is also considering a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline unit that would produce around 265 horsepower, similar to the powerplant to be launched on the Scirocco R.

Getting back to the engine mounted on the concept, it provides an average fuel consumption of 55 mpg, with CO2 emissions going around 113 g/km. Volkswagen estimated the concept to go from 0 to sixty in around 6.2 seconds, while being able to reach a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h).

Obviously, an interesting topic would be the price of the future model since such a roadster isn't exactly a model addressed to economic recession times. Depending on the engine, the BlueSport can hit the showrooms at prices of around $30,000, the source hinted.

"Volkswagen set just two objectives in the car’s development: maximum driving fun and minimal fuel consumption. And so a mid-engine sports car was implemented that makes no compromises, and that aims at low weight and maximum agility right from the start," Volkswagen said in a press release issued today.