Volkswagen unveils XL Sport concept

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Volkswagen has pulled the covers off an all-new concept car with the heart of a motorcycle: the XL Sport.

The German car maker revealed the 147kW prototype during its group presentation night in Paris on Tuesday, on the eve of the annual motor show. The XL Sport comes off the back of the brand's fuel-sipping XL1, shown to the public in 2013.

The centrepiece of the XL Sport is in fact a Ducati engine: the 1199 Superleggera V-twin, mated to a seven speed dual-clutch transmission. Revving out to 11,000rpm, the two-cylinder can sprint to 100km/h from rest in 5.7 seconds, going onwards to a top claimed speed of 265km/h.

Head of Volkswagen Group communications, Stephan Gruhsem, said the XL Sport loomed as a genuine production vehicle if there was sustainable public interest. So far, Volkswagen has committed to 250 examples of the XL1 on which it is based.

"We've discussed production and if the response is as good as the normal XL1, then I think the decision will not be difficult," he said.

"We have to see in the next weeks and months what happen. [It could go ahead] in 2015, 2016 or 2017."

Gruhsem said the sports concept, if it came to fruition, wouldn't interfere with Volkswagen Group's existing sporty models, such as the Audi TT.

"It's a logical consequence form the XL1, it is a lead for the other cars we make," he said.

"We try to show which synergies are possible from within our company, and this is a good example"