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2009 VW BlueSport Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Something is rotten in Zuffenhausen. Ingolstadt, too. Once upon a time, in the frozen wasteland that is Detroit in January, Volkswagen unveiled the turbo-diesel
BlueSport roadster at the 2009
Detroit Auto Show. The press was awed, the car drove onto the stage amidst a flurry of dancing children, the marketing gurus at ze People's automaker were thrilled and we all expected to see the car hit production with some expediency. That didn't happen, and now we may know why. According to
Automobile, the project may have been given the back burner treatment due to internal jousting between
Porsche,
VW and
Audi.
It's no secret that all three automakers have been mulling whether or not to jump on a small, mid-engine platform, but it looks like both Porsche and Audi aren't really interested in filling their ranks with a VW creation. Porsche isn't keen on the notion of selling a new entry model that might dent sales of the upcoming redesigned
Boxster, and Audi can't really make a case for adding another sports car to its portfolio.
That leaves VW with one very efficient, very sexy concept and no way to bring it to reality without the cooperation of its corporate cousins. Odds are the scuffle will be ironed out after Porsche is officially brought under the VW tent once and for all, but until then, we wouldn't hold our breath for the VW BlueSport. The
Porsche 918 Spyder on the other hand...
Gallery: Detroit 2009: Volkswagen BlueSport Concept
Gallery: Detroit Preview: Volkswagen BlueSport Concept
Live photos by Frank Filipponio / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source:
Automobile]
Report: In-fighting delays Volkswagen Bluesport, Audi R4 originally appeared on
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