2013 Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster Concept – Pictures and Specifications

Volkswagen, one of the biggest auto makers in the world, and one of the few whose sales haven’t been affected by the failing economy has been promising us a sports car since 2003. They finally unveiled a concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.

The 2013 Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster will be a fairly-priced, good (not great) performance vehicle. It’s likely to be powered by a 2.0-liter engine (similar to the one used in the Jetta or in Audi’s A3), or a 2.0-liter turbo four (optional). The steering wheel will probably be the same, though: an automatic 7-speed automatic DSG with a manual mode. To shift the gears manually, the driver can use the two shifters mounted on the wheel, although the automatic shifting saves up on the fuel consumption.

Speaking of the fuel consumption, according to Volkswagen, their very first sports car will go about 35-50 mpg, with CO2 emissions of only 113. It will go from 0 to 60 in 6.2 seconds, which is pretty good for the intended pricing.

The 2013 Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster features a navigation system, electro-hydraulic power steering, a stop/start system for the engine, antilock 4-wheel disk brakes and a 4-wheel independent transmission. Volkswagen says that the BlueSport Roadster’s top will be the lightest in its class.

It is possible that such a vehicle becomes available for purchase sometime this year, but Volkswagen hasn’t officially stated anything about a release date. The price will be between $23,000 and $26,000.