From the stable of Volkswagen comes a engineering marvel. Volkswagen shows off its cutting-edge advanced technology to the world through its concept turned into reality car the Volkswagen L1. The car's got an astonishing mileage of about 100 Kms and is a 2 seater. The car is compact, light weight and stylish. The compactness of the car is due to the reduction of resistence of air through its design. The body is designed in a wind tunnel which is 3.47 metres long, just 1.25 metres wide and just over a metre in height. The body is made of Carbon-fibre and has Magnesium as frames, both add to the light weight but strong infrastructure of the car.
The 1-litre car is powered by a one-cylinder diesel engine, centrally positioned in front of the rear axle and combined with an automated direct shift gearbox. The crankcase and cylinder head of the 0.3-litre engine are of an aluminium monobloc construction. The naturally aspirated, direct-injection diesel engine employs advanced high-pressure unit injection technology to generate 6.3 kW (8.5 bhp) at 4,000 rpm. This gives the vehicle, which weights just 290 kg, an astonishingly lively temperament.
Fuel consumption is a mere 0.99 litre per 100 kilometres. With a 6.5-litre tank, this gives a range of some 650 kilometres without refuelling. Due to the restriction of space, it was not possible to adapt an existing gearbox. For this reason, a compact, automated 6-speed gearbox is employed, which is controlled from a turn switch in the cockpit. Running gear made of lightweight alloy, tyres that offer optimised rolling resistance and 16-inch wheels made of extremely lightweight composite material perfectly complement the economical drive system.
The seat frames are made of magnesium, and firm, yet comfortable fabric covers are used instead of a classic upholstery. Despite the lightweight construction of all components, safety has been a major element in all phases of the development of the 1-litre car.
The concept vehicle's safety equipment includes
- anti-lock brakes
- ESP electronic stability program
- a driver's airbag
Deformation elements at the front end and the spaceframe construction provide impact and roll-over protection comparable to that of a GT racing car. Extra features like keyless entry, stowage area, and automatic locking and unlocking of doors are also available. This would be the best economic vehicle in the world if priced correctly.
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