It’s been a few years since the VW group purchased Ducati for its stable and we were all beginning to wonder whether they had anything planned for the Italian bike maker. Here’s the fruits of its labour as VW’s efficient 1L/100km XL1 has been turned into a sportscar with a Ducati bike engine.

VW XL Sport has a Bike Engine

Ducati’s motor is a two-cylinder 1.2-litre that develops around 147 kW with only 134 Nm. Teamed with the XL chassis it will accelerate from 0-100kph in 5.7 seconds and top out at 270 kph. The XL Sport is made with carbon fibre and reinforced plastic that helps keep the overall weight down to just 890kg. The twin-cylinder motor has been adapted to work with a dual-clutch, seven-speed DSG gearbox.

Having a bike motor powering the XL Sport does have a few advantages as it will rev all the way to 11000rpm. Then there’s the sound that the twin-cylinder Ducati is world renowned for. 18-inch forged aluminium wheels also replace the aerodynamically efficient versions that made the XL1 an aerodynamic benchmark. VW has promised to build 500 units of this XL Sport.