This $132,000 Volkswagen Makes 260 Miles Per Gallon
Or so VW says.
Volkswagen may be sick to death of Dieselgate, but we'd stop making fun of it if the brand stopped finding new reasons to get in trouble for its scandal. Volkswagen owners who have to part ways with their TDIs are out of luck for buying a diesel VDub in the United States, but fans across the pond can rest easy. That is if they have £99,999 ($131,646) to spend on a German prototype car that makes 260 miles per gallon.
There's currently a 2015 Volkswagen XL1 for sale in London, one of only 200 ever made. It features a Metallic Onyx White exterior with Red Part suede interior trim and a full dealership history.
The XL1 gets impressive fuel efficiency from an 800 cc 2-cylinder turbo-diesel engine paired with a plug-in electric motor. The electric motor can work with the diesel engine Porsche 918-style or drive the rear wheels independently through the car's 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The combined power output of the motors is just 74 horsepower and 163 lb-ft of torque, but the car weighs just 1,753 pounds thanks to a carbon fiber body–– however these mediocre performance specs are completely irrelevant to the car's function.
Despite the XL1's lightweight design, it still has plenty of normal creature comforts like air conditioning, power steering, and satellite navigation. Remember, it might follow the Lotus weight-loss program, but the XL1 is the exact opposite of a performance car.
