One of the biggest hits at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit was Volkswagen's BlueSport roadster concept, but in order to put the model into production VW would have to sell it under a variety of different brands. The most likely candidates to receive a version of the roadster would be Audi and Seat which brings us to the rendered speculation of a possible Seat model dubbed the Salsa.
The model would feature Seat's trademark front end and a high-quality interior which would make use of a number of items from VW's parts-bin. Volkswagen has previously stated that there is only a 70% chance of having the BlueSport concept go into production and a final decision would be dependent on whether Seat and Audi could make a business case for the model to be sold under their respective brands. While the Salsa is just pure speculation, any attempt at building a case for putting a roadster as beautiful as the BlueSport into production has our vote.
Power for the BlueSport concept comes from a 2.0-liter TDI engine with 180 hp and 250 Nm of torque which is connected to a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. This combination enables the roadster to run from 0-62 mph in 6.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 142 mph. Even better, the car's light weight of 2645 lbs and the use of an automatic engine start-stop system allows it to return 55 mpg.
sub39h
January 26, 2009 2:06 PM
