Volkswagen has teamed up with Italian motorcycle maker Ducati for a high-performance run of the XL1. The Volkswagen XL Sport concept is on display at this week’s Paris Motor Show and looks like a mashup of an Audi R8 and the Nissan GTR. Power’s not nearly as great as either of those vehicles though. The XL Sport dishes out 197 horses powered by a Ducati 1199 Superleggera V-twin engine that’s mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and revs up to 11,000 rpm. This car’s meant to drop weight and be a precise track car and it does a lot of things right. With a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 168 mph, its part engine and part design. Look for wider tires wrapped around magnesium wheels, a pushrod rear suspension, increased downforce, additional cooling ducts, and an overall design that’s more streamlined than the XL1. No word yet on if the XL Sport will hit production but Volkswagen’s already confirmed they’ll be making 250 XL1s. Look for more details on this front in the weeks and months ahead.
