Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster gets the green light for production

Filed under:Bugatti,
Presented for the first time at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, the Volkswagen BlueSport roadster is close to become a mass-produced model.

Mid-engined, soft-topped, diesel-powered, and promising handling to rival or beat the Mazda MX-5, it's a near-perfect package for a daily driver turned weekend rockstar. The mid-engine architecture would lead to increased storage spaces at both the front and the rear.

The power of the concept comes from a 178bhp 2.0-liter diesel engine, plus a 1.4-liter TFSI and a 2.0-liter turbo borrowed from Polo GTI and Golf GTI. It also gains torque, rated at 260 pound-feet in the concept. And it drives the rear wheels. The engines will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard, but VW's dual-clutch DSG set-up will be available as an option.

The car can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and it’s rated at 45mpg and sub-120g/km CO2 emissions.

Weight is kept to a minimum by the use of an ultra-light aluminum chassis, plus a manually operated canvas folding roof, the car now weighing around of 2,600 pounds.

The concept came with two engine configurations, TDI or TSI. The United States models are powered by a 2.0-liter unit that produces 132 kW (180 PS) and 350 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, with a top speed of 140 mph (226 km/h).

If it does go to production, we'll have to wait about three years yet, sometime around 2013, priced from around £20,000.