VW 2-banger gets 94mpg

[twilyth]

VW UP!

It should sell for around $8k stripped or around $14k equipped.

A 1.2 liter 3-cylinder gas engine is under consideration.

It should hit the auto shows in 2009 so availability might be 2010?

[Nanometer]

And the competition of the smarts begin. What crap.... I'll never buy something like that.

[onewingedangel]

The fiat 500 is getting a small turbocharged two pot soon as well, the noise of future 'city cars' should be..ummm....interesting

[twilyth]

I don't know what the curb weight for the car is, but a 1.2 liter turbo charged engine should make that thing fly.

[libertysyclone]

I keep thinking about buying a small car for my comute to work, but honestly its not going to save me a ton, even at 93mpg i would only save $700 a year...

Hard to sell me on that since my car is paid off and a new car @ $14k would be $250/month

Ithink its cool though, and if I had a longer commute it would be great.

[Zytek_Fan]

It probably won't be able to manage highway speeds

[StealthyFish]

It probably won't be able to manage highway speeds

I'd love to see it on a highway. If I hit that thing, it looks like it'd fly back a good 100 ft easily, and I've got a compact sedan, lol.

[twilyth]

I'd love to see it on a highway. If I hit that thing, it looks like it'd fly back a good 100 ft easily, and I've got a compact sedan, lol.

It probably won't be the safest car, but that what people said about Hondas and Toyotas and now they get some of the highest crash test ratings.

If it uses a space frame, crumple zones etc - and being VW I'm sure it will - it should be able to handle medium velocity impacts. You probably have to think of it in terms of being like a motorcycle. There you have no protection at all but people still drive them.

My first car (that I got new anyway) was a 1987 CRX. It only had a 1.5 (???) liter engine, normally aspirated, no blower/charger. Think the curb weight was a little over 3,000 pounds - maybe 3500. It did 0-60 in about 10.5 seconds and could handle highway speed with no problem. And the low end gear spacing was narrow enough that you could merge into traffic without JATO (jet assisted take off) pack.

[[XC] Lead Head]

Those little diesel turbos are great for turbocharging lawnmowers

[systemviper]

Besides my muscle cars,
my favorite car that i ever owned was a Karmann Ghia
It was great off the line, cornered like a racer and was just so much fun screaming around all the side streets of the town and state i lived in.

I will always have a place in my heart for that car. I also owned a convertible bug and a regular hard top,

When i discovered them as a kid was by accident, and I just enjoyed the cars. I remember using the bug convertible as a dunebuggy for a few years and you wouldn't believe the hills of sand that we took that car over. You look back on those days and think, man i must have been nuts. Some of the dirtbikers couldn't even make up this one hill and the bug did it. then we would switch spots and I would hang on the back on the convertible top and my buddy would drive....whahooooo\

sorry for the old memories rant.....

[clayton]

Weaking Low power engine with high MPG isn't impressive. Good engine with fantastic MPG is great. Killer engine with good MPG is even better (Corvette).

[twilyth]

I will always have a place in my heart for that car. I also owned a convertible bug and a regular hard top,

. . . . .

sorry for the old memories rant.....

I learned to drive a stick on a friends VW - the 'super' beetle. But I've always owned Honda's. Now I have a new Civic Si and it's a blast to drive. I'd still be driving my '92 Si, but when you're spending $3-4 a year for repairs, you've just got to say goodbye.

[RAW-Raptor22]

It probably won't be able to manage highway speeds

With its main 700cc turbo-diesel? It will fly... trust me.

It probably won't be the safest car, but that what people said about Hondas and Toyotas and now they get some of the highest crash test ratings.

If it uses a space frame, crumple zones etc - and being VW I'm sure it will - it should be able to handle medium velocity impacts. You probably have to think of it in terms of being like a motorcycle. There you have no protection at all but people still drive them.

My first car (that I got new anyway) was a 1987 CRX. It only had a 1.5 (???) liter engine, normally aspirated, no blower/charger. Think the curb weight was a little over 3,000 pounds - maybe 3500. It did 0-60 in about 10.5 seconds and could handle highway speed with no problem. And the low end gear spacing was narrow enough that you could merge into traffic without JATO (jet assisted take off) pack.

3000lbs? That sure sounds heavy... my Datsun/Nissan 280Z is only 2450lbs.... with a 2.8L 175HP engine stock. That car has get up and go... wait until I throw a VQ35 in it.

[twilyth]

3000lbs? That sure sounds heavy... my Datsun/Nissan 280Z is only 2450lbs.... with a 2.8L 175HP engine stock. That car has get up and go... wait until I throw a VQ35 in it.

Yeah, you're right - I just looked it up - 825kg or about 1800lbs. Maybe I was thinking of the new one - about 2900lbs.

Even so, the CRX (1st generation available in US market) only had about 100 horse power and it could still get around quite well

[Soulburner]

It certainly isn't going to "fly". It will be slow as molasses, but that isn't its purpose.

I wouldn't mind having a 90mpg car.

[StealthyFish]

It probably won't be the safest car, but that what people said about Hondas and Toyotas and now they get some of the highest crash test ratings.

If it uses a space frame, crumple zones etc - and being VW I'm sure it will - it should be able to handle medium velocity impacts. You probably have to think of it in terms of being like a motorcycle. There you have no protection at all but people still drive them.

My first car (that I got new anyway) was a 1987 CRX. It only had a 1.5 (???) liter engine, normally aspirated, no blower/charger. Think the curb weight was a little over 3,000 pounds - maybe 3500. It did 0-60 in about 10.5 seconds and could handle highway speed with no problem. And the low end gear spacing was narrow enough that you could merge into traffic without JATO (jet assisted take off) pack.

It had weight though. Do you think this vehicle has weight to stabilize it at higher speeds?

[twilyth]

It had weight though. Do you think this vehicle has weight to stabilize it at higher speeds?

I don't know - not really an expert. But if it has good ground effects I'm sure it would be good for a comforatble 60-70mph. The CRX was very flaky if you got above 80 and there was a little bit of a cross wind. It felt like you were just pointing the car in the right direction and praying for the best. The '92 Si was a little better. I got it up to about 115mph once but did not feel in control. I haven't pushed the '08 Si, but it's pretty low and has the rear spoiler to give a little extra weight to the rear tires.

[Andrew LB]

It probably won't be able to manage highway speeds

I'll put money on it that this car will be able to exceed 100mph.

I'm sure it will be very popular across Europe and in central and south America.

94mpg makes the Prius look like a fuel guzzler.

[Soulburner]

I'll put money on it that this car will be able to exceed 100mph.

It should do 100 with the 3cyl, but I don't think the 2cyl version has any hope of going that fast.

[Andrew LB]

With its main 700cc turbo-diesel? It will fly... trust me.

Yea. Think about the power they get out of those Radical 1500cc turbo engines! That thing would smoke any vette on a road course by far.

Heck... even the plain 1300cc one would kill the Z06.

[pissboy]

Seeing as this is from a UK website, and its probably in Imperial gallons, that would make it about 78MPG in the US. I don't know if I'm the only one who caught that or what? 78MPG is still nothing to complain about, and I would definitely look at it as a commuter car, hell I could go to work and back twice on a gallon.

[MaxxxRacer]

I cant say i would mind driving this for work. I drive 50 miles a day for work, so this little thing would save me some money. I dont care about it being fast, just so long as it is comfortable. With gas hitting 4 dollars a gallon in Los Angeles, cars like these are getting tempting.

[jimmsch]

For 14k you can't go wrong. I would so buy this if it is available when I am looking for a new car. And I never owned a car before, I am a pickup truck guy.

[Soulburner]

I cant say i would mind driving this for work. I drive 50 miles a day for work, so this little thing would save me some money. I dont care about it being fast, just so long as it is comfortable. With gas hitting 4 dollars a gallon in Los Angeles, cars like these are getting tempting.

Diesel is as high as $4.20 here as of now...

[RAW-Raptor22]

Diesel is as high as $4.20 here as of now...

Here too, its awful... (northern california)