VW unveils 180 mile-per-gallon, two-seater L1 hybrid at Frankfurt Motor Show

The Telegraph ^ | 9/15/2009 | Andrew English

[Charles Martel]

LOL! “Riding lawnmowers of the Rich and Famous”.

[TigersEye]

And special carbon fiber! Well, we all need our fiber.

[count-your-change]

Looks like anyone over 75 pounds is going to have a tough time getting into the thing but maybe a person could stretch it around their self like a girdle.

[Rodamala]

Quoting NVDave-

...we could easily have 50MPG cars right now...

My dad's diesel Rabbit ROUTINELY got 50 MPG and that was in 1982. My '91 diesel Jetta just turned 280,000 miles and routinely gets 42MPG.

[JoeDetweiler]

It doesn’t look to me like it could clear a speed bump and I hate to think what a pothole might do to it........

[Iron Munro]

PRESIDENTIAL MODEL
(available as a special order only)

[jamaksin]

Or, 1984 Mercedes Benz 190D. Four cylinder diesel, 46 MPG consistently, 42 HP, 540+K miles, original owner.

[Eye of Unk]

I may only get 5 miles per gallon, but I will RULE the road!

[Woodman]

Yes, have you seen how fast that thing is?

[PubliusMM]

Wow... In 1972, I bought a Honda 600N Coupe right off the showroom floor for $1650 plus tax and title. It was a blast to drive. Little 10” Bridgestone radial tires, a two cylinder transverse mounted, air cooled motor, front wheel drive, and a gearshift that hung off the dash and ran out through the firewall to the transaxle. I needed some extra room for ‘stuff’, so I took the back seat out of it, tied it up with string and MAILED it home.
It was a deathtrap on wheels in an accident. The doors were about 2” thick and the sheet metal was ‘flimsy’, to say the least. But it was fun to drive...

[Abathar]

Here you go Red.

Ever see a 900 lb car in a strong gust of wind like a thunderstorm? I bet it can go 0-60 faster sideways and rolling.

[Kirkwood]

Lots of things can go fast. It doesn’t make them safe.

[Red Badger]

Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....

If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....

[Red Badger]

[Abathar]

It has the right shape for it, I wonder instead of airbags if it has Vaseline sprayers in the front bumper...

[reagan_fanatic]

[nina0113]

Good luck surviving even a fender bender.

What? You'd just scoot right under any other car's fender. Might scrape your roof paint. I'd be more worried about road rash on my butt.

I wouldn't ride in it if they gave me a gold-plated one.

[DungeonMaster]

Yeah, I want to get into that death trap. NOT!

Compared to my Harley it is as safe as in yer momma's arms.

[texas booster]

The L1 is capable of 99mph and 0-62mph acceleration in just 14.3sec and emits carbon dioxide at the parsimonious rate of just 39g/km, meaning free road tax in the UK.

This is certainly from a UK newspaper. There aren't any fishwrap employees in the US under 70 that still use these words, even computer assisted.

[SoldierDad]

At least with a Harley 1) you have more ability to see things around you (the L1 has very limited vision behind the driver), and 2) people can hear (and feel)you coming before you get there. I don’t believe that is the case with this vehicle.