Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster Not Going Anywhere Soon

Volkswagen BlueSport Concept

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That Volkswagen BlueSport roadster concept from the Detroit auto show is looking less and less likely to make it into production.

The original plan for the concept, as Drive magazine reports, was to offer both Volkswagen and Porsche flavors of the compact two-seater. VW's concept version sported a clean diesel engine, which might have been an interestingly torquey powertrain for a VW-made Miata fighter.

However, the latest word from Volkswagen is that coming up with a way to make the roadster profitable is an issue. Porsche says it's not interested in adding more vehicles to its lineup--which means one less brand to soak up the cost of developing the two-seater. And as everyone knows, the world is in a recession that's proving to have its own diesel-like durability.

The turbodiesel concept promised 0-60 mph times of about 6 seconds and 35 miles per gallon on the European cycle--which still wouldn't meet the 42-mpg passenger-car standard coming in 2016 and being announced today by the Obama administration.

[Drive, via MotorAuthority]