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Volkswagen Bluesport production on hold
 
Bad news for Volkswagen Bluesport and future Porsche 914 fans, even though it should come at no surprise, it is still a let down. Ever since Porsche announced that there will be no new entry level offering in the line-up, Volkswagen has also announced that due to the current economic situation, their open air, diesel burning BlueSport model has been put on hold. Volkswagen did not shut the door on the concept, saying that there is still a chance for a production model, but only after the world goes back to buying cars. So, for Volkswagen fans the good news is that the German automaker will eventually offer a roadster. The only question is when? The VW BlueSport Concept is powered by a mid-mounted 2.0 Liter TDI with common rail injection engine making an adequate 177 HP. VW says that the clean diesel convertible can go from 0 to 60 MPH in just 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 140 MPH, all while returning 55 MPG. Now that sounds like fun, both behind the wheel and at the pump. Audi and Porsche possibly working on their own VW BlueSport model
Audi and Porsche possibly getting a version of Volkswagen’s BlueSport concept, no really?! After all it isn’t like we’ve been reporting on this for the last six months that VW and Audi were working together on a roadster or that Porsche may slap a badge on the project as well. So if this is not news, why are we reporting it? Two reasons: the news is more official and is sounding a little more desperate. Both points were made from one quote the Automotive News obtained from a Volkswagen representative. “To make a strong business case for the new roadster, we need to share the investment with at least three brands.” It seems that as much as VW wants its little roadster, economic conditions have the final decision. Last week we reported the production version of the BlueSport would appear by 2012, but it also doesn’t share all of its parts already with other VW family cars. Audi and Porsche are the only real ways to go. The roadster could never be exotic enough for Lamborghini or Bugatti and the €30,000 expected price (currently about $40,000) is too expensive for the Skoda and Seat lineups. If a final decision is made we could expect it as soon as the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Volkswagen BlueSport concept into production in 2012
 Surprise, Surprise! The Detroit Auto Show is still going on, and Volkswagen already has rumors swirling around about the production possibilities BlueSport concept. This shouldn’t be a shock to that many people because VW has spent the last year hinting about the mid-engined car that would also be used as a replacement for the Audi TT and possibly a Porsche.  So we know Volkswagen is planning a mid-engine platform for its line-up, the only real question now is when? According to Autocar, the debut year will be 2012. The biggest delay is that not all of the elements of the roadster are available yet. Volkswagen gets the most out of its parts (that’s why the upper class Audi TT is on the same platform as the budget Skoda Octavia,) and the planned elements of the BlueSport will not be in production until 2012. The BlueSport roadster is powered by a mid-mounted 177 hp 2.0-liter Clean Diesel (TDI) with common rail injection engine. VW says that it can make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 6.6 seconds and tops out at 140 mph, all while getting 55 mpg. The engine is mated to a a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox mounted closer to the front of the car, which gives it a 45:55 front-to-rear weight distribution. By the time 2012 comes around, the BlueSport may have a new name and a few more engine choices from the VW parts bin. 2009 Volkswagen Concept BlueSport
We did know that Volkswagen was going to unveil its new roadster in Detroit, but we didn’t know it would show up as a diesel.  The Concept BlueSport is powered by a mid-mounted 177 hp 2.0-liter Clean Diesel (TDI) with common rail injection engine. VW says that it can make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 6.6 seconds and tops out at 140 mph, all while getting 55 mpg. The engine is mated to a a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox mounted closer to the front of the car, which gives it a 45:55 front-to-rear weight distribution.  The concept is has some fun stuff like bi-xenon LED headlights outside and a touch screen command center inside. This all comes in a package that weights only 2645 lbs. While everything about this car seems attractive except for possible the oil-burner engine, remember this is just a concept. When the production car shows up we expect it to keep the good points such as the mid-engine layout, almost even weight distribution, and lightweight design. We also expect to see some gasoline engines from the VW parts bin available on the production roadster. Press release after the jump. Full story | | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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