Volkswagen Bluesport Roadster Not Dead Yet
Even though it’s been revived more times than Pete Doherty, the Volkswagen Bluesport roadster is apparently back on track at the insistence of Uli Hackenberg, VW’s chief engineer.
Hackenberg feels that the upcoming Toyobaru twins and the Mazda MX-5 will fuel demand for more sports cars on the lower end of the market. While dealers felt that the market was too small to justify the Bluesport, Hackenberg feels that the demand has been artifically supressed due to a lack of options.
If Volkswagen does go ahead with the project, expect Audi or another subsidiary (SEAT? Skoda?) to market their own sports car using the platform. The big question is whether Porsche will go back on its word and create its own version, or cede the lower tier to its downmarket cousins.
More by Derek Kreindler
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It's VW's default tactics ... watch the competion (Mini Coupé, Toyobaru, MX-5) carefully, decide after 4 years. They did that with Touran, Tiguan, Up etc.
A low cost roadster with the maintenance costs and reliability of an Audi S8? I will take 3.
I feel like VW and especially whoever platform badges the higher end one of these is just going to miss the boat. If it takes them 3 years to put metal in showrooms, the niche for cheap fun will likely have been filled. If markets continue to stabilize (and I don't want to get into that argument in this forum) it's going to be hard to sell another Miata, especially when your brand and heritage has more of the moneyed whiff to it.
Derek, I disagree. Cars like these are dead until proven to be alive. Niche vehicles, diesel motors in the USA, etc.