VW XL1 production version gallery

[wyatt]

Here's an image I hadn't come across before:

Originally Posted by Smurf

The XL1 measures 153 inches long, 65.6 inches wide and stands 45.4 inches tall. That makes the XL1 as long as a Toyota Yaris and 1 inch narrower, but the Yaris stands 14 inches taller than the Volkswagen."

So, it's only an inch more narrow than a Yaris? It must have much thicker doors if they had to stagger the seats. Either that, or the Yaris must be kind of cramped inside (I have never sat in one).

So it's puzzling me, and maybe you all can help fill in the blanks. My Suzuki Swift GA sedan is a 4 door, 4 seater and is made out of steel. If any of you know what a Geo Metro is, just think of it's 4 door, 4 cylinder cousin. Mine weighs in at 1,894 pounds (that's the curb weight I found long ago, and we have weighted it in with me and misc other stuff and a full tank of gas at 2,080 pounds). So how is it that the XL1 which is much smaller, is a 2 door, 2 seater with carbon fiber parts weighs in at 1,800 pounds? I would have expected it to be much lighter by looking at it.

It always makes me laugh when people worry about batteries catching on fire in an EV or hybrid. Can it happen? Certainly. How often? Remains to be seen. Lithium and most other hi output battery technology is still in it's infancy. There are going to be mistakes made during the learning curve. However when considering the number of years gasoline powered cars have been on the road and the number of fires they have had, and the energy density available in gasoline compared to batteries(what is it 100 to 1?), I would much rather take my chances in an electric car with batteries. I have personally extinguished at least three gasoline vehicle fuel related fires(not my vehicles). In each case the fire was caused by a leaky fuel line under the hood.
Nothing is 100% safe.
JJ

I am glad I am a source of humor for you . It sounds like you and I are on the same wavelength. I took a more antagonistic point of view, and you a bit more optimistic. I bolded the parts that we outright agree on, and italicized and underlined the part that I should have included, but did not. Thank you for that.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by wyatt

So, it's only an inch more narrow than a Yaris? It must have much thicker doors if they had to stagger the seats. Either that, or the Yaris must be kind of cramped inside (I have never sat in one).

Yes the maximum width is, however the car is sort of shaped like an oval, a yaris is more squarish if you have an low height oval that is the same width as a square which has more frontal area?

[wyatt]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Yes the maximum width is, however the car is sort of shaped like an oval, a yaris is more squarish if you have an low height oval that is the same width as a square which has more frontal area?

Ok, I see what you are saying. More square from a "head on" point of view. The XL1 has a MUCH more narrow cabin



Oh, and here's what's under that rear hatch. Not much room for luggage or extras.

[NachtRitter]

Originally Posted by jjackstone

Not to hi-jack this thread, but I assume you all have seen this info from last year

Ford working on mass-market carbon fiber components to save weight, improve efficiency

IIRC all major manufacturers are working on something similar and while many have just survived bankruptcy they still have some pretty deep pockets.

JJ

BMW too: More Carbon Fiber Parts In BMW Cars From 2013

wyatt--
There is a little cargo area in the prototype... haven't seen what it looks like on the production version tho':

[tjts1]

Interesting, it looks like they used both glue and rivets to keep the CF panels together.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Interesting, it looks like they used both glue and rivets to keep the CF panels together.

Until CF dies can plug the thing out in one piece that antique method is the most effective method available, much like how aluminum bread trucks were made for decades.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

So, do they use Araldite to assemble the body? I knew it was the resin used in the CFRP panel in the Audi R8 and is even used by Airbus. Contact glues evolved a lot in the last decades, and allowing for a more precise assembly it also leads to weight reduction.

[NeilBlanchard]

Pictures from Geneva (I think):

Volkswagen XL1: Geneva 2013 Photo Gallery - Autoblog

[gone-ot]

...aside from the useless door side-panel sculpting, I like it.

[wyatt]

It would have been nice if they would have rounded the wheel wells like on the Gen1 Insight. According to this picture, it would have improved the Cd by about 0.007 (probably a little less), or take it from 0.189 to around 0.182. Not insignificant when there are so few improvements left to be had.
I agree with Old Tele Man, that sculpting should go. The hubcaps should have been made as smooth as possible also.
I guess these may have been things they traded, and the improvements were so small that they decided to keep the styling. I guess we may never know.