Volkswagen Bluesport roadster concept debuts in Detroit

Volkswagen has made no secret of its desire to revive the compact roadster market with numerous concept cars over the last decade, however the latest design, called the Bluesport, takes it to a new level with almost production-ready specs and a real possibility of getting the green light for global sales.

VW’s goal was to build a convertible sports car that was affordable, economical and quick, and the numbers for the Bluesport seem to indicate they've achieved their goal. Powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel, the Bluesport develops 180hp and 260lb-ft of torque. This is enough to push the roadster to a top speed of 140mph and send it from 0-60mph in just 6.2 seconds while retaining fuel efficiency of 35mpg in the combined European cycle.

The basic mechanics behind the Bluesport are also sound as the engine is mid-mounted and drives the rear wheels – a departure from VW's "signature" of relying on FWD and AWD powertrains. The transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch unit and is mounted near the front of the car to give it an almost ideal weight distribution of 45:55 front to rear.

The concept has a wheelbase of just 2.43m, sits 1.26m tall and has an overall length of about 4m. In front, the sports car exhibits a track of 1.49m and in the rear it is 1.52m.

Overall, the roadster weighs around 1200kg – light by modern standards but relatively heavy compared to a Lotus Elise and around a hundred kilos more than the latest generation Mazda MX-5. One benefit of the slightly larger size will be more practicality, with the Bluesport capable of holding 182 litres of cargo in two storage areas – one under the front hood and one in the rear.

The new concept will make its debut at this week’s Detroit Auto Show, and show the world the latest iteration of VW’s new hard-edge design language, which was first showcased on the Scirocco coupe and then on the Mark VI Golf.