Volkswagen Lifts Veil Off 261 MPH Hybrid XL1

The most aerodynamic car ever built.

Photo Removed
Complex Original

Blank pixel used during image takedowns

Photo Removed

261 mph! God damn, that's good mileage. When the Volkswagen XL1, set for public reveal in Geneva next month, that's what you'll get. The car, first proposed in 2002 by Dr. Ferdinand Piech, hits with covered rear wheels and gullwing doors. In that, it shifts from VW's traditionally conservative aesthetics and gives off an '80's style futurism. 

The XL1 is powered by a rear-mounted two-cylinder TDI turbo-diesel that produces just 48 hp. The front- mounted electric motor sets off 27 hp. So, needless to say, while this thing is efficient, it ain't super fast—top speed is 100 mph. 

The gas mileage of 261 is based on a mixed European cycle (different from EPA standards). Still, the Volkswagen XL1's aerodynamic design is all about efficiency regardless of the nation it drives in.

[via Left Lane News]

LIKE COMPLEX RIDES ON FACEBOOK

Latest in Sports