The power of the Porsche Taycan Turbo in a Volkswagen? Register with us.
February 21, 2023 in 3:44 a.m. ET
Exciting concepts like the W12 Nardo and XL Sport with a Ducati V2 engine unfortunately never made it into production, but Volkswagen hasn’t given up on sports cars yet. It’s too late for a production model from Wolfsburg with a combustion engine, so look for a car that will appeal to pure electric car enthusiasts. We’re not talking GTX-badged models but a legitimate performance car.
Hidden away in an otherwise bland press release about the realization of the full development of in-house electric drivetrains is news about the potential for a very powerful drivetrain for a sports car application. Apart from developing its own battery cells and electric motors, Volkswagen has now taken up the development of pulse inverters and thermal management systems. This opens up the possibility of creating a modular kit that can be adapted to both electric and sports cars.
Volkswagen XL Sport concept 2014
38 the pictures
To this end, Volkswagen is already working on this promising technology and says it will be ready for the next generation of electric vehicles that will be supported by the evolution of the existing MEB platform. The German brand says a potential zero-emission sports car with more than 500 kilowatts will be possible. This works out to 680 horsepower, which is right up there with the likes of the Porsche Taycan Turbo.
The modified platform, known internally as MEB Evo, will help Volkswagen cut development-related costs by up to 20 percent. We need to be realistic here because the company has bigger fish to fry. Thus, expect more SUVs, sedans, and hatchbacks to hit the market before adding a sports car to the lineup. Meanwhile, the next ID. The Buzz GTX and ID.3 GTX should suffice, along with the ID.4 GTX and ID.5 GTX already available.
Looking at the Volkswagen Group as a whole, the first dedicated electric sports car will arrive in 2025 when Porsche introduces the 718 Boxster/Cayman variant.
