Here in the US, Volkswagen’s image has certainly diminished over the last two decades. The company simply hasn’t been able to capitalize on the popularity of the first-generation Beetle, building a series of small cars that just don’t resonate with consumers who prefer a Civic, Corolla and even Focus over anything else VW has to offer. offer.
However, that may all change soon, as the German automaker lays out plans for a new factory in the US and revises its lineup to bring newer, more exciting cars to America. Included in that mix is a mid-engine coupe and a related roadster, cars that could burnish Volkswagen’s laggard image.
Yes, you heard right: a mid-engined VW. According to AutoWeek and others who have been following this news, a concept car could be ready in time for the LA Auto Show in November. Here’s what we know about this exciting two-seater:
- A pair of four cylinders will power the car. VW’s little 1.4L twin-turbocharger has been mentioned, as has its 1.6L TDI diesel, both working with a seven-speed twin-shift gearbox.
- The body style will be reminiscent of the Lotus Elise, with a curb weight slightly above a tone. This will allow the car to achieve segment-leading acceleration and fuel economy figures.
- Volkswagen is raiding its own parts bin to keep costs down and looking to Audi for help building the aluminum spaceframe.
- VW’s majority owner Porsche is interested in the project and could use the new platform for its own purposes, possibly resurrecting the venerable 914 model.
As is common practice, automakers love to leak a certain amount of information about special projects to generate publicity that they hope will spread like a virus across the Internet. So the recent rumors could be just that or VW may have something new up its sleeve.
We’ve seen VW stumble before, the Phaeton luxury sedan is a prime example, so don’t hold your breath about the midsize roadster/coupe. Still, if all goes according to plan, we could soon see the sportiest of all VWs on our streets in 2011.
