Report: Volkswagen Gives the Green Light to a BlueSport Roadster

The Eos isn't Volkswagen's most popular model, but a meaner, performance-oriented droptop may be just what its consumers are looking for. A new report suggests the BlueSport roadster has been given the ok for production.


First seen at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, the BlueSport was depicted by VW as the comeback of the compact roadster. Sources at Auto Express have received confirmation from VW that the two-door sportster is indeed in the final stages of development and has been given the go-ahead for production. According to the source, designers haven't strayed from the concept's muscular look.

As it name suggests, the BlueSport will follow VW's trend of offering eco-friendly technologies. The car will likely feature stop/start technology along with regenerative braking. VW installed its 180-horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine in the rear-drive roadster concept; its combination of frugality (55 mpg) and rapidity (0 to 60 in 6.2 seconds) dispelled myths that diesels have to be slow. When the production convertible premieres, we expect a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 gasoline engine, followed shortly after by a 1.4-liter twin-charged I-4.

Similar to what we saw some 18 months ago, the BlueSport borrows some styling trends from other VW offerings, namely the Scirocco and Golf, but a set of LED foglights and wide stance remind us of the Audi R8. To keep the car light, VW is poised to offer a manually operated folding cloth roof. In addition, an ultralight aluminum chassis will be used to help keep weight to near 2600 pounds.

We expect to see the BlueSport on our lot sometime between 2012 and 2013, with pricing presumed to start around $30,000.