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Volkswagen BlueSport Earmarked For 2013 Debut: Report

The Volkswagen BlueSport story is shaping up to be an on-again-off-again affair. Last year, the car was believed to have been mothballed, but reports in recent months have pointed to a future for the concept not only with Volkswagen, but also with


The Volkswagen BlueSport story is shaping up to be an on-again-off-again affair. Last year, the car was believed to have been mothballed, but reports in recent months have pointed to a future for the concept not only with Volkswagen, but also with its Audi and Porsche brands.

Now, talk out of Europe suggest that Volkswagen is aiming to have a production version of the BlueSport ready by 2013.

According to British magazine Autocar, a new mid-engined roadster based on the BlueSport will debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, with sales set to begin in the following year.

The production BlueSport will reportedly be built on Volkswagen's modular MMB architecture, matching existing VW suspension with a purpose-made floorpan.

The concept's project leader, Marco Fabiano, told German magazine Auto Motor und Sport last year that a new cost-effective mid-engine platform designed specifically for the Bluesport could be a production reality.

Autoweek magazine also spoke with Fabiano who said that the BlueSport has been designed in a modular fashion, allowing dramatic changes to the track and wheelbase, along with engine offerings.

Thanks to the multi-purpose and scalable design of the MMB platform, higher-performance versions of the BlueSport are expected to appear in the Porsche and Audi line-ups also.

“It can even take a six-cylinder engine,” Fabiano told Autoweek. “The only fixed point within the platform is the position of the rear bulkhead and the transverse mounting of the engine.”

The concept version of the BlueSport is powered by Volkswagen's 125kW 2.0 litre diesel four cylinder, mated to a six-speed dual clutch DSG transmission with steering-mounted shift paddles.

With 134kW and 352Nm of torque at its disposal, Volkswagen is claiming the Bluesport can launch to 100km/h in just 6.2 seconds.

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