VW L1 concept news - Frankfurt show: VW L1 concept - 2009

This is the L1 Concept, VW's streamlined vision of the future. It's an 800cc diesel-electric hybrid made from half a Golf Bluemotion engine, wrapped in aluminium and carbon fibre. The electric motor fires up to help the diesel under acceleration, shoving an extra 40 per cent torque to the wheels.
 
The whole thing weights just 380kg (that's without any fatties on board) and is just over a metre high - that's about the same as a Murcielago.
 
Its centreline seating layout puts passenger behind driver, presumably so the person driving can massage his mate's knees as they straddle his torso. It also makes the car thin like a bullet, so there's less drag. That means it can hit an incredible 189mpg and go 416 miles on just ten litres of diesel.
 
Our spy on the ground at Geneva just had a sneaky word with a VW source, who suggested that the car is, essentially, ready to go. So perhaps we can expect to see one on the road in the next couple of years.

Kind of reminds us of that weird Carver thing. OK, so the VW doesn’t tilt, but we’d like to see Jeremy squeeze himself into one…