- The Volkswagen XL1 is a rare, ultra-efficient diesel-electric hybrid with a futuristic design.
- Only 200 were ever sold, and now a pristine example is available for sale in the UK for £69,950.
- Powered by an 0.8L diesel engine and electric motor, this XL1 has been driven just 12,500 miles.
The Volkswagen XL1 was the culmination of a decade-long project within VW to create a vehicle capable of using just 1 liter of diesel per 100 km or an insane 235.2mpg. And despite being over 10 years old, the XL1 still looks like something straight out of a sci-fi future. In fact, even Tesla seems to have drawn design inspiration from the XL1 when crafting its futuristic Cybercab.
VW first previewed its ultra-efficient model in 2002 with the launch of a tiny two-seater known as the 1L, weighing a mere 290 kg (639 lbs). Seven years later, it unveiled the L1, another concept with a fighter jet-inspired cockpit that also served as a preview to the eventual XL1.
The production version made its grand entrance at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show. Despite VW investing a staggering €1 billion (roughly $1.1 billion) into the project, they limited production to just 250 units—of which only 200 were sold to the general public for a cool €111,000 each.
Read: 5 Surprising Similarities Between Tesla’s Cybercab And VW’s XL1
Given how few XL1s were built, used examples rarely go on sale, but one has just hit the market in the UK with a £69,950 (~$90,800) asking price over at Piston Heads. It is one of just 26 that were sold in the UK and has only ever been owned by one person. It’s number 148 of the 200 customer cars produced, has been driven 12,500 miles (~20,100 km) and attended more than 150 car shows.
It’s safe to say that the XL1 was well ahead of its time, not just with its ultra-efficient powertrain but also with its exterior and interior designs. The front end features striking LED daytime running lights and VW equipped the model with supercar-inspired butterfly doors. It also lacks traditional wing mirrors and uses cameras instead, a feature that’s only started to become available on a handful of new cars.
Powering the two-seater is an 800 cc two-cylinder diesel engine with 47 hp and a 27 hp electric motor, making for a combined 68 hp and 100 lb-ft (140 Nm) of torque. This engine is coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels.
If this engineering unicorn has piqued your interest, why not take a closer look? Head over to Piston Heads to see the full listing—this might just be your chance to own a piece of automotive history, and trust us, cars like this don’t come around often.
