DOTS - my neighbourhood edition

"m2m, apex detective" (m2m) 09/06/2013 at 14:49 • Filed to: DOTS, XL1, spot

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So ... I found this car is parked in my neighbourhood today and nearly ran into something. It is a pretty rare sight after all. It is part of a fleet of about 30 (don't pin me down on that number) that are currently used to get some real-world data on the car, using both employees and a few select people outside VW, including some customers.

There are not many cars that startle me by just sitting there; this is one. Your first impression is that it's something from another planet altogether ... after that you realize just how tiny it is. The XL1 is incredibly small ... you look at photographs and automatically imagine it a lot bigger – since this is clearly a car, it has to be as big as a car, too ... right? Nope. It's not the length that strikes you most, it's how narrow and low a car this is. Apparently that's how you get economy.

There are a few interesting bits and bobs I learned by using the power of small talk.

The track at the front is much wider than at the back, so you create nifty tracks in the snow ... and you wiggle around, as it's light and RWD. To get the car cleared for road use in Germany, they had to create a set of bespoke nonskid chains that go on the driven wheels ... you can remove the rear wheel covers and put on a sort of clawed design that rocks some plastic spikes.

Hm. What else ... oh right, the 2-cylinder is not quite as silent as you could expect. With so much carbon fibre and CFK use, the wall separating engine room and passengers pretty much acts like a membrane and lets you hear ... a lot. Wind noise and running noise ("whoosh") render the engine noise inaudible at speeds higher than, say, 60-70 mph.
I got to take a seat, too, but I'd taken some pictures earlier and there's enough press shots to cover this, too. The interior is snug and simple ... once you've recovered from the fall (it is that low), it's comfortable, too. That said, it's not a car for tall people, with "tall" meaning everything above 6'3" – you wouldn't be able to close the door properly. Ooh, doors : just like the SLS AMG, the XL1 has explosive hinge-joints that are electronically triggered when the car detects that you managed to roll it and are now in an upside-down position. Cool stuff, also slightly discomforting.

When I asked about real-world performance and consumption, I was surprised to hear that you could actually average about 2.5 litres per 100 km* on a trip of over 400 km (~250 miles).

* Google says that's about 95mpg

I like the car. Most people don't understand it, that's why there are no cars like this in the real world. /s igh.

ddavidn > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 14:50

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Did you ask him if you could hoon it?

HammerheadFistpunch > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 14:52

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the reason there are no cars like this in the real world is that VW can't afford to sell it. Estimates put at it $150,000 plus usd. that buys a hellava lot of gas.

For Sweden > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 14:55

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Want to touch the hieney.

delete-me-please123 > For Sweden 09/06/2013 at 14:57

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No I will not make out with you!

delete-me-please123 > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 14:58

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Awesome. Thanks for the pics Foamy!

505Turbeaux > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:01

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damn that thing looks good out in the real world. Now for lottery scheme...

Decay buys too many beaters > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:01

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I think its a gorgeous bit of engineering, but a lot of the tech is probably 10 years away from finding itself on mainstream cars (which I am convinced IS going to happen).

Size wise how is it compared to the first generation Honda Insight? I was amazed at how small they were the first time I saw one.

Makoyouidiot > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:02

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That's not much more than a top end Model S, your argument is invalid. They would sell.

HammerheadFistpunch > Makoyouidiot 09/06/2013 at 15:03

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its not much different than an R8 or a small house too, but they doesn't mean they are cross shopped.

Jagvar > delete-me-please123 09/06/2013 at 15:07

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Chlorophyll? More like bore- ophyll!

Makoyouidiot > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:08

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R8 and a house are irrelevant. Model S shows folks are willing to pay for advanced zero/low emission cars. This thing looks amazing and pushes hybrid tech forward. If they could keep it under 200k, it would sell.

HammerheadFistpunch > Makoyouidiot 09/06/2013 at 15:12

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The model S shows what people who want, style, speed, comfort, technology and want to make an environmental statement get for their $150 grand. They could never sell enough of a 100 mpg noisy 2 seat stripped out go karts for $150k to make it worth while. You implied an apples to apples cross shop where none exist. They will sell all 30, but this car is not for the masses, not even close.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Jagvar 09/06/2013 at 15:13

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m2m, apex detective > Decay buys too many beaters 09/06/2013 at 15:14

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I haven't seen an Insight in person, but from what I'd estimate, it should be a bit longer and a lot lower. For a reference point, look at the mailbox in the rear shot.

It definitely looks sleek enough to make me giddy. Regarding your "10 years" estimate, you might be in for a surprise; talking about the car's weight and how the engine would do in other shells, the guy mentioned that they are thinking about stuffing the drivetrain in the more pedestrian Up!.

Makoyouidiot > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:15

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I'd much prefer a 100mpg noisy go kart over a fast luxomobile myself, probably skews my views.

desertdog5051 > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:16

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Are chains mandatory for all cars in Germany?

HammerheadFistpunch > Makoyouidiot 09/06/2013 at 15:17

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probably. But lets be honest with ourselves for a second, there simply CAN"T be more than a handful of people that would pay 5x more than a prius for 2x the mileage and 1/2 the comfort. The math just isn't there and VW will tell you this is exactly why they aren't selling it outside of tiny limited numbers.

m2m, apex detective > ddavidn 09/06/2013 at 15:22

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One word: insurance. These are not yet in production and I'd estimate the worth at well over what they ask for one.

I just sat in it and talked with him ... he still has it for some days, maybe I'll try it. ;)

Decay buys too many beaters > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:23

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Hmmm, that would be something I'd really like to see (even though we're a long way from getting the Up in the US).

It's nice that automakers are finally taking steps to reverse model bloat, now if only we could do the same for SUVs. I'm not sure how I'd feel driving something like an XL1 around all the bros in their f-150 Raptors.

m2m, apex detective > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:25

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It is ... it's not about the cost, though; they pretty much picked the price to make sure they can choose the people who end up driving one. That's one of the question I bugged him with, though; I wanted to ask what a simplified, carbon-stripped version of this car could cost. He guesstimated 40-45k EUR, but that's just a rough guess. Still too much for now.

Makoyouidiot > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:25

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True. But they could sell a few thousand, I'd imagine. Limiting it to just 30 is what bugs me. Hell, if they can lose a couple million on each Veyron, why not.

HammerheadFistpunch > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:26

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strip the carbon and you don't have a car. This is a VERY expensive car for VW to make, I don't think they make a penny on each one they sell.

m2m, apex detective > desertdog5051 09/06/2013 at 15:27

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I don't know about the exact regulations ... I'd like to think that they have to offer them; since this car is a bit special (2CV-style tires), they had to create them from a blank sheet.

m2m, apex detective > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:29

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Much like Lexus' LF-A, this is more of a technology showcase or halo car than it is an actual car meant to sell. There's much more money in this project than 200*111k Euro.

//edit: Forgot something. The door sills are absolutely massive, as this is a true monocoque construction ... and I mean supercar-massive, probably around 11-13", maybe even bigger.

m2m, apex detective > Decay buys too many beaters 09/06/2013 at 15:31

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You could go all Fast & Furious on the bros and sneak under their Raptors to increase the already awesome economy. ;)

HammerheadFistpunch > Makoyouidiot 09/06/2013 at 15:32

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I see what you mean about the Veryon, but it was conceived in different financial times, VW can't be doing the same loss leader strategy with this car.

phenotyp > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:43

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This is awesome.

Makoyouidiot > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 15:44

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Also true. Especially if they want to be the biggest sellers in the world.

SLR999 > m2m, apex detective 09/06/2013 at 15:54

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OMG.

Well, I'm not a greenie by any stretch (although I love me some Tesla), but that is fantastic .

Jayhawk Jake > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 16:18

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To be fair it would cost a lot less if they could make more of them, but I'm guessing it wouldn't do mass production well in its current form.

Perhaps VW could make a less expensive, less efficient variant. I'd rock one if I could.

Pessimippopotamus > HammerheadFistpunch 09/06/2013 at 16:21

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This is a proof of concept rather than a mass market model. Like the Tesla Roadster and the Volt, it's the models that build off these cars will be a lot more affordable and practical.

delete-me-please123 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/06/2013 at 17:29

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"If peeing in your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis."

m2m, apex detective > SLR999 09/07/2013 at 05:09

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It's got some Tesla flair, now that it's a plug-in hybrid, too. One tank lid provides access to the Diesel tank, the other lets you charge the battery pack.

One kid asked what would happen if you confused these two.

MJMcG > HammerheadFistpunch 09/07/2013 at 17:03

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And, I hate to say it, but getting twice the MPG of a Golf TDI by making a car half the size with half the performance and less than half the carrying capacity does not exactly scream "technological breakthrough"

Michael500 > m2m, apex detective 09/08/2013 at 12:21

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They don't have paved sidewalks in Germany? What kind of strange building codes they must have.

Michael500 > m2m, apex detective 09/08/2013 at 12:24

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These plants look like Camellias, plus the other foliage looks like what we have in Los Angeles, must be a southern/warmer "neighborhood" in Germany.

Michael500 > m2m, apex detective 09/08/2013 at 12:39

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Looks pretty cool, a lot better than an ugly Prius. Love the back lights.

Suburbaru > m2m, apex detective 09/09/2013 at 11:23

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At last. A car in 2013 that looks like it's from 2013.

m2m, apex detective > Michael500 11/18/2013 at 05:29

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Hey there, and sorry for answering oh-so late. I just referenced this article and ended up skimming it again only to find that there's comments I didn't catch before.

Germany does have pretty solid infractructure in general, this area is still in flux, though, and the final roadworks are yet to come once the land-use area is complety set up.