Stratospheric price for Volkswagen's 'future car'

IF YOU want tomorrow's car today, you're going to have to pay for it. Volkswagen has announced that the ultra-futuristic XL1 will sell in the UK for more than £98,000.

The first XL1 was delivered to a German customer in May, with UK buyers now lined up to take a share of the 200 that are due to be built.

The incredibly rare machine, built with unparalleled aerodynamics and a tiny two-cylinder diesel engine, can achieve 313mpg on average in combination with emissions of only 21g/km.

In fact, it's so efficient that it takes just 8.3bhp to push it along at 62mph on a flat road surface in still air. Overall the 800cc diesel engine can produce 27bhp powering an electric motor which then links directly to the wheels through a modified seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

To aid aerodynamics even further, the XL1 even ditches door mirrors in favour of tiny cameras, which beam live footage to screens inside the cabin. The overall drag coefficient is a fish-slippery 0.189, compared to 0.27 for an average Volkswagen Golf, which itself is very aerodynamically efficient.

Commenting on the £98,515 XL1, Product Manager Lianne McKnight said: “Enthusiasm for the XL1 has been building since the first concept of the car was unveiled in Qatar in January 2011.

“Knowing that production of our cars is now underway and that customers will soon be taking delivery of them is very exciting.  We’re looking forward to seeing this record-breaking model on UK roads, as well as seeing technologies within it filtering down to many of our mainstream Volkswagen cars.”

She continued: “To achieve its benchmark efficiency goals with materials and technology available today required a radical approach. Each XL1 customer is therefore able to own an example of the type of car we may be driving in 15 years time, and benefit today from the investment that a company like Volkswagen makes in its future.”

By Press Association reporter