To us petrolheads, eco cars tend to be a bit boring. Sure, they’re impressively frugal, typically packed full of technology and point towards the future, but they tend to be about as captivating as an algebra class. Biofuelled supercars aside, there is one hyper effect car that caught the attention of many back in 2013. Meet the Volkswagen XL1.
This curious spaceship was originally a bit of an engineering exercise for Volkswagen. The aim was to try and create a car that used less than 1 litre of fuel for for every 62-miles driven. In order to achieve this incredible feat of fuel sipping, Volkswagen went to extremes.
Visually it’s a very alien thing on the road. This four-wheeled slug was shaped by the wind tunnel to be as aerodynamically slick as possible. It’s teardrop shape gives it a coefficient of drag measuring just 0.189. Remembering that a car is continuously fighting against the wind when driving, that number is a big contributor to efficiency. The XL1 was also one of the first production cars to make use of door-mounted cameras in place of wing mirrors.
Nobody promised the XL1 would be fast, and it’s not, but its powertrain is rather unusual – especially for back in 2013. You see this Volkswagen is a diesel plug-in hybrid. Its engine was a tiny 800cc twin-cylinder with 47bhp, something supplemented by a 26bhp electric motor. A 5.5kWh battery might seem small by today’s EV standards, but it still gave the car a 31 mile all-electric range.
Weight is another critical factor when it comes to fuel efficiency, and the XL1 sits firmly in the feather class. Tipping the scales at just 795kg – amazing considering there’s a battery onboard – this Volkswagen utilised lightweight materials for every aspect of its design. The car’s bodywork is predominantly made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic, with its structure using as little steel as possible. Just like most supercars it features a carbon monocoque that is structurally integral to this mid-engined eco car. Plastic windows and the carful consideration of every component means there’s no excess on the XL1.
A quirk of placing the car’s battery at the feet of its passenger means that the driver actually sits further forward. This somewhat diagonal seating arrangement is a byproduct of this Volkswagen’s tight packaging.
The net result is a car that still looks futuristic today, and can attain over 300mpg! However, this pocket-sized piece of the future came at a cost that would make the fiercest of eco warrior blush. To obtain an XL1 you needed over £98,000 thanks to the rather bespoke nature of its design. Just 250 cars were ever produced though, making this Volkswagen a rare oddity to haven your collection. Exotic nature aside, this car was actually a finalist for World Car of the Year in 2014.
Volkswagen took the XL1 one step further with the XL Sport. Officially the 200,000,000th Volkswagen ever created. the XL Sport is effectively a hot version of the XL1 that makes good use of a Ducati Superleggera engine. Volkswagen owns the motorbike company, so pinching an engine for this project wasn’t much of a stretch. The 200bhp motor propelled this efficient sport car from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and onto a top speed of 168mph.
Extensive revisions to the XL chassis were needed thanks to it original being design with a hybrid diesel in mind. A whole new subframe, braking system and suspension were needed. The car is also longer and wider to accommodate its more potent powertrain and substantial tyres. Far from a show car, the XL Sport was a fully functioning machine.
While the XL1 and XL Sport were never designed to be sold in large numbers, their technology remains very relevant today.
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Keyword: Remember the 300mpg Volkswagen XL1?