FIRST LOOK: Volkswagen XL Sport

Yes, you read right: Volkswagen's XL1 Sport, on display right now at the Paris Auto Show, is powered by a 197-horse Ducati Superleggera V-twin. According to VW, the concept car—based on the incredibly efficient carbon-chassis XL1 turbodiesel hybrid that gets a phenomenal 271 mpg—accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds and boasts a top speed of 168 mph.

While that’s not especially impressive when compared to a Panigale or many modern sports cars, remember this: The XL1 Sport is powered by a small 1199cc engine, albeit the most high-tech and powerful two-cylinder powerplant available. VW says the 90-degree Superleggera V-twin—mounted amidships, right where the two-cylinder diesel usually resides—is basically as it appears the motorcycle, boasting those lovely and lightweight titanium connecting rods that allow the engine to rev to 11,000 rpm.

Power reaches the rear wheels of this 1962-lb. Volkswagen—which looks a bit like a Passat that has begun morphing into an Audi R8—via a magnesium-alloy clutch, a newly developed step-down arrangement (that reduces engine speeds by a factor of 1.86), and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Aerodynamics, obviously, play a huge role with this XL Sport. VW says the car, with a small frontal area and a super slippery 0.258 coefficient of drag, represents a “major triumph” for the company’s aerodynamicists and designers. It’s all the more impressive, they say, because the design brief for the car demanded sporty wide tires, openings for cooling air, and optimal downforce.

Aero trickery includes special vanes that direct the air at the front into specific channels, plus vented wheel arches, an optimized underbody, lift-reducing air ducts in the hood, an extendable rear spoiler, and adaptive air vents in the rear hatch.

The carbon-fiber monocoque chassis has steel subframes to support the upper and lower control arm suspension, which uses pullrod-actuated shock absorbers in front and pushrods in back. According to VW, the magnesium-alloy wheels, save 53 pounds compared to aluminum-alloy rims, and they are fitted with 205/40R-18 tires in front and 265/35-R18s in back. Braking is by powerful ceramic discs.

Inside, a digital instrument panel with an oil-pressure display is situated just below a carbon-fiber cowl that stretches the width of the XL1 Sport. Other cool interior details include a steering wheel with red stitching, aluminum paddle shifters, and anodized aluminum trim in multiple spots, including the air vents, climate control fascia and DSG shift gate.

Volkswagen, for the record, is planning to build only 250 XL1 turbodiesel hybrids, and there’s no word right now if the Wolfsburg company will ever build an XL Sport powered by Ducati V-twin. If they do, can you just imagine the sounds it would make screaming down the Interstate? While the companies, both part of the huge Volkswagen Group, undoubtedly will talk about how they’ve “leveraged synergies” to create the XL Sport, we prefer to view the vehicle simply as an excellent example of what can be created when you already have such a sleek and lightweight chassis in your stable.

Efficiency should always be celebrated. But there’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun. We’re sure the VW and Ducati engineers would agree.