VW: Over the Moon

Building a Car That Has No Market, That Takes Guts. That's How Development Occurs.

(Image Credits: Autocar Magazine Online)

In the 1960s, America put a man on the moon. This technological feat was possible because of the hard work and dedication of some very intelligent men. It was possible because of the faith of lawmakers in these men to be able to pull this daunting task off without tragedy or embarrassment. Most importantly, it was possible because we had cash reserves and export surpluses to match our purple mountains majesty. The situation at VW is very reminiscent of those heady early days at NASA.
VW's chairman, Ferdinand Piech, has been pushing the development of some of the most advanced automotive technology ever conceived. How many cars are made boring or uninteresting (dare I say, ugly?) in comparison with the factory in which they were built? Such it is with the VW Phaeton and its palatial birthplace. The Bugatti Veyron is often cited as Piech's greatest (and most asinine) accomplishment during his tenure as the top man. It is, without question, the most technologically advanced car ever made, in every way, just as it was designed to be. If you've never watched the first Top Gear Veyron race, you must. Your man card will be revoked, otherwise.
Rolling across the feed this morning came this little gem: VW plans to sell a revised version of its much hailed 1-Liter car by 2013. This is wonderful news. Granted, it looks a bit too much like Honda's ill-advised first generation Insight; a car driven predominantly by university professors in the Pacific Northwest. It won't appeal to a wide audience; certainly not in the United States where it is roughly the size of a Hummer wheel. But we have already been reaping the benefits of the 1-Liter car in the guise of the Bluemotion line on sale here in Europe. These ultra-efficient diesel cars flat out stomp their competition; hybrid cars especially. Now, the progenitor of that fantastic technology will be made directly available. Will it be the first aspirational eco-car? Probably not. But is it significant? Is it a good business decision? If it moves VW out in front of its Japanese competitors (rightfully, might I add) in the green races, then VW deserves to be the first to make that small step.