Photo: mobile.de
The XL1 sounds like the name of a video camera, not a car. And... that's because it is; Canon makes it. But it's also one of those crazy Volkswagen ideas, like the Bugatti Veyron or the Phaeton.
We often joke that VW is Hitler's baby, bent on world domination. But when a company who's primary business is the Golf decides to make the fastest car in the world, or the most fuel efficient, you begin to suspect them for megalomania.
I think the idea behind the XL1 never really caught on. The 1-liter Volkswagen has half a diesel engine, and considering how much tech is in there, there's bound to be a defeat device as well.
In many ways, the XL1 is the polar opposite of a Tesla Model S. People want their EVs to be really cool, spacious and have the best possible battery technology. Oh, and there's that whole drag racing thing you might have heard about.
The total system output of the XL1's 0.8-liter TDI and the electric motor is 48 horsepower. Thanks to a carbon fiber tub, it weighs roughly 2.7 times less than a Tesla Model S and is as slippery as a fish. But that doesn't make the 1-liter car cool at all.
The handful of models we found all belong to dealerships in Germany, where they racked up between 500 and 6,300 kilometers, probably being demoed to high-paying customers. But it seems none of them wanted to take Volkswagen's little science experiment home.
The most expensive of the lot is €120,000, while the cheapest stickers for just under €90,000. For that kind of money, you could get behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S, which will make people think you're both cool and a friend of the environment.
Heck, engage Ludicrous mode, and you might see the panties fly off. But if you chauffeur a lady in the XL1, her privates will be exposed while getting in and her bones will be shattered over every speed bump. You, sir, will look like a tool!
I think the idea behind the XL1 never really caught on. The 1-liter Volkswagen has half a diesel engine, and considering how much tech is in there, there's bound to be a defeat device as well.
In many ways, the XL1 is the polar opposite of a Tesla Model S. People want their EVs to be really cool, spacious and have the best possible battery technology. Oh, and there's that whole drag racing thing you might have heard about.
The total system output of the XL1's 0.8-liter TDI and the electric motor is 48 horsepower. Thanks to a carbon fiber tub, it weighs roughly 2.7 times less than a Tesla Model S and is as slippery as a fish. But that doesn't make the 1-liter car cool at all.
The handful of models we found all belong to dealerships in Germany, where they racked up between 500 and 6,300 kilometers, probably being demoed to high-paying customers. But it seems none of them wanted to take Volkswagen's little science experiment home.
The most expensive of the lot is €120,000, while the cheapest stickers for just under €90,000. For that kind of money, you could get behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S, which will make people think you're both cool and a friend of the environment.
Heck, engage Ludicrous mode, and you might see the panties fly off. But if you chauffeur a lady in the XL1, her privates will be exposed while getting in and her bones will be shattered over every speed bump. You, sir, will look like a tool!
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