THE lid has been lifted on VW’s hot new roadster! Auto Express’s sources in Germany have revealed that a production version of the stunning BlueSport roadster has been given the green light.

The mid-engined two-seater wowed crowds on its debut at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show with its blend of sports car thrills and a frugal diesel engine. Now, insiders close to the project have revealed that a showroom-ready design is being finalised before engineering prototypes begin testing.

Stylists have stayed as true as possible to the original show car, and our exclusive illustrations reveal the newcomer’s look.

The familiar VW face is carried over from the Golf and Scirocco, so sleek headlights and a narrow, horizontal grille will appear. A set of LED daytime running lamps is the only notable addition.

Compact dimensions mean the BlueSport is shorter and lower than the Golf, but nearly as wide, so it has a squat, muscular stance.

Inside, the bespoke-style interior of the concept will make way for a more understated and sporty design, similar to that seen on other performance VWs, including the Scirocco. Thanks to the mid-engined layout, storage spaces in the front and rear should boost practicality.

Weight is kept to a minimum by the use of an ultra-light aluminium chassis, plus a manually operated canvas folding roof. The car will tip the scales as low as 1,200kg – similar to rivals such as Mazda’s MX-5.

Power will come from the show car’s 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel, as well as a choice of the turbo and supercharged 1.4 TFSI engine from the Polo GTI, and the Golf GTI’s 2.0-litre turbo unit. A six-speed manual gearbox is to be offered as standard, but VW’s dual-clutch DSG set-up will be available as an option.

Performance from the diesel version is expected to be rapid, with 0-60mph in around six seconds. But it won’t come at the expense of efficiency; thanks to regenerative braking and stop-start, the newcomer promises fuel economy of 45mpg and sub-120g/km CO2 emissions.

Our sources say that as Toyota is said to be working on a hybrid version of its MR2 replacement, and Honda has already launched its petrol-electric CR-Z, a hybrid BlueSport could follow. Expect to see the car in dealers by 2013, priced from around £20,000.

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