Quick Tour of my VOLKSWAGEN XL1, five years into ownership

[@anaru5643]

fab review of a true future classic. Brilliant piece of engineering that also looks like art in motion. Thanks for the detailed review, love these cars.

[@chobbs3384]

Legend has it that the car came with a full tank and he's still got most of it

[@edstratton]

🤣 Yes I thought I’d never get through it all so I siphoned most of it out into a can and it’s still on the garage shelf.

[@dhutch2000]

Is that actually true?

[@edstratton]

@@dhutch2000 Ha ha no! I've done almost 8000 miles in the XL1 so far, so I've probably filled the 10 litre tank around 40 times or more.

[@dhutch2000]

@@edstratton Fair do. Still bloody good really.

[@wesselschulte768]

@@edstratton About as good as our passat gte.. Still a really cool car tho

[@awhitt9670]

5 years of ownership... meanwhile car looks like it’s from 2040 😂😂

[@bigmango202]

Futureproofing

[@chronos1081]

@@themagic8ball "Wake the f*** Up Samurai, we have a city to burn."

[@eacorion]

you will not be allowed to drive it in 2025 because itˋs a diesel 😂🤣

[@charltonlee4617]

it does look outdated for me

[@georgeorwell7776]

dont you mean 2077

[@jorge8596]

This is basically a supercar, except instead of being made for speed it's made for efficiency

[@edstratton]

Exactly!

[@michaelbrinks8089]

Great analogy

[@chinadashauthority65]

You’re such a boss for making this and for owning this car

[@edstratton]

Thanks, I enjoyed making the video. Maybe I was a bit mad to buy this car but I never regretted it. It's sort of become a big part if my life and I know I could never part with it :-)

[@flowerdna]

Yes. Thank you for the time and care.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

I love this car, it shows what can be done when profitability isn't a concern.

[@edstratton]

I agree. It's rare to see engineers and designers given free reign and an open chequebook to try and break new ground, and for me this is what makes the XL1 so special.

[@ZeronXL]

"....profitability isn't a concern." Are you kidding? This thing costs 100K pounds even second hand. Ed said that they did every panel to be molded as mass production. I know that it's a test car but if they made a version for the ordinary people with some less MPG but more powerful engine and lower price, a lot more people would of bought it and VW would come in profit from it.

[@edstratton]

@@ZeronXL I think he meant that when a vehicle is being designed purely to achieve certain engineering goals rather than to be mass produced in the hope of selling huge quantities of them, there is much more freedom for the designers to express themselves. The justification for the project from VW's point of view was of course that it would be great R&D that would hopefully lead to other future VW models being more efficient (and therefore sell more) - hence why they spent huge money on developing the ability to mass produce carbon fibre panels even though they did not intend to mass produce the XL1. If they had intended to mass produce the XL1, you can be sure it would not have been made of so much carbon and magnesium or have so quite many compromises on the comfort and practicality. I really hope VW will make another car that looks similar to this and mass produce it, even if the mpg is less than half what the XL1 can do.

[@ZeronXL]

@@edstratton I understand all of this, but all the achievements they made with that car were 5 years ago, the same technology they used to make it all happen is a lot cheaper now, and the most important thing is that carbonfibre materials are really not as expensive as manufacturers are forcing us to believe. So there is no reason not to produce it again by just adding some compromise to the really pricy stuff. For instance I don't need it to do 300 MPG, when 150 MPG is enough for everyone, add 30 liter tank, about 15-20 bhp more and that is all it needs. Ecofriendly shouldn't mean expensive by all means.

[@anand.suralkar]

@@ZeronXL this isn't far for people to buy so its price shouldnt be compared to cars meant to be bought

[@dograishan8504]

Easily the most intriguing modern car i can think of

[@johannes914]

They should build that kind of cars instead of SUV.

[@pruviu3577]

It's pretty expensive to make one. It's all made out of carbon fiber

[@sebastianeiselt37]

@@pruviu3577 if they would have made it in big Series and researched in Carbon, they could for sure made it way cheaper. I mean i get your Point, but VW said they want to get environmental friendly. They could have done something for it, but instead they decided to make 2,5T SUVs, and this is a bit paradox, isnt it?

[@EatMyYeeties]

The problem is that very few people would buy it. People want family vehicles. SUVs bridge the gap between this and mini vans.

[@amito.frmdano]

The suv world is big rn it makes them more money making suvs

[@TheLaXandro]

@@EatMyYeeties SUVs don't bridge the gap between a 2-seat coupe and a minivan. Hatchbacks, sedans and then wagons do. SUVs are a bastard spinoff that bridges the gap between regular cars and proper offroaders, or at least do their best to outwardly appear to.

[@Flashtony76]

I remember seeing this as a concept. I never new they actually made some! Great car! Love it!

[@francissanto12]

i believe they sold some in europe in very low numbers

[@edstratton]

@@francissanto12 They sold 200 of the XL1, which went to customers in many different European countries.

[@mateuszzimon8216]

@@edstratton also in US, RCR drive one, irc Leno have one

[@edstratton]

@@mateuszzimon8216 Actually the one that RCR reviewed is the one at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, which is the only one in the US. Jay Leno doesn't have one, as far as I'm aware, unless he got it very recently?

[@bean3243]

5 years and it still looks beautiful and futuristic, a car I didn't know I wanted.

[@edstratton]

Had no idea I wanted one until I saw my first photo of one online and that was it, I was obsessed.

[@bean3243]

@@edstratton It's basically a concept car, I wasn't even aware they could sell these for the public road.

[@edstratton]

@@bean3243 Yeah everyone thinks it's a concept and you can see why from the looks, but also because VW launched their planned run of 200 cars without advertising, knowing they would all sell out quickly. So it got loads of press coverage in the magazines (over 100 different reviews on KZbin etc) but without advertising and marketing most people seem to have remained unaware of it, or if they did see it mentioned, just assumed from the looks that it wasn't going to go into production.

[@MarcelGhani-gj7lx]

This is an awesome car a classic for future generations to come

[@HasanainShuja]

Thanks for taking the time to review such a great and under rated car. What a rare close up review. Really rare to see an owner talk about it.Thanks. They need to make more of these.

[@chinadashauthority65]

Never realized how small the XL1 is

[@CarDietrich]

This was the ultimate culmination of what I like to call Volkswagen's "Wermacht" period. The Phaeton, the Bugatti Veyron, W8 Passat, Touareg V10 TDI, Audi's Q7 V12 TDI and Le Mans racing program, even the way some of the Golfs and Jettas were built back then. They were going HARD, and of course it turned out to be too hard at the end of the day. Getting high on your own supply has serious consequences. But still, they created some glorious Automobiles and the XL1 is in some ways thier crowning achievement, along with the Veyron at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It's too bad that the XL1 never got the attention or the glory it deserved. Thank you for making this video documenting yours, it's important for people to see this thing.

[@JeffreyGoddin]

Side effect of early morning filming = wonderful birdsong! Wow!

[@edstratton]

Yes we love our birdsong here! Song thrushes galore! We are very lucky to live in a remote unspoilt location surrounded by woodland.

[@jochenstacker7448]

I absolutely admire you for buying this car, it's like a supercar for people with brains. I'd have this over a Veyron.

[@edstratton]

Burst out laughing when I read that! Just about sums the car up. I wouldn’t know what to do with a Veyron, or where to hide it until a dealer could come in the dead of night to take it away to be sold!

[@sandrosantos3622]

You, sir, got some rare and exquisite car.

[@edstratton]

Thank you, I feel incredibly fortunate.

[@GoldenCroc]

One of the coolest production cars ever! Thanks for the nice video.

[@socrates112]

Awesome looking thing! I didnt know VW sold these. You are blessed to have one.

[@edstratton]

I am truly blessed, I know it. Me and my little silverfish will never be parted...

[@MarcelGhani-gj7lx]

I have to say this is a wonderful review sometimes I feel that the XL1 is going under the radar but from a design perspective it makes a Ferrari F8 Tributo look ordinary I m not surprised it won a highly decorated price at Salon Prive.Many Congratulations again

[@edstratton]

Thank you!

[@exl9997]

This was a really great video / owners review. You really got a knack for making nice relaxing informative videos. Thanks for this, very interesting!

[@edstratton]

Thanks for the encouragement, I really appreciate it! I will do more videos soon.

[@5ecret5quirrel]

As a long time Lupo 3L owner, I love this car. So thank you for the tour. The freewheel feature does take some getting used to, and when to not use it to slow for things.

[@gwick358]

I remember when these came out. It's good to hear from an actual owner. I was curious at the time about how the car would perform in the real world. Thanks for answering my question and for a great video.

[@999xoddam]

This is a great video. Thank you so much for allowing us to see the car from your perspective. It was so hard to get your hands on one of these, as you know. Thanks for taking the time to do this!

[@edstratton]

Thank you! I'm delighted that KZbin gives me a chance to share it and hear feedback.

[@Minto107]

Wow, I remember when I saw this car in a magazine when I was younger, so cool to finally see it in more detail! Awesome video and beautiful car!

[@gdwlaw5549]

Thank you so much for making this wonderful video. I loved it too when it came out. I have also followed the Aptera project for past ten years. It’s a dream car! I love the aerodynamics and weight saving ideas. Thank you .

[@edstratton]

Thank you. I too am following the Aptera project with great interest.

[@Mr-Curious]

This really shows if they put their minds to it they can really push us forward on the mobility front. They just choose to hold back technology for commercial reasons. With this kind of cars on the road Tesla would have never existed. Really nice car. You got something special there. There is nothing else quite like it on the road right now..

[@samuelele]

„The build quality is truly extraordinary!“ or as the germans call it ‚NORMAL‘

[@edstratton]

Ha ha well yes, that has been my experience!

[@alexklein455]

Ah yes. We all know how long German cars last...

[@rickgoosens8793]

not anymore.. almost all (New) VAG products right now are abysmal quality wise

[@Gentleman...Driver]

Depends really. This was a "halo" car. They had a big budget.

[@edstratton]

@@Gentleman...Driver Yes I was told by VW that they spent over £1 billion GBP on the project, but they also told me that VW spent that much just to facelift the Golf! They certainly do have big budgets alright.

[@downunderdog]

That's such a sick car to have in your possession, kina reminds me of the Audi from the movie "irobot", definitely a unique car that will be greatly appreciated in decades to come if its in good nick.

[@AnotherHobby35]

didnt even know this car existed till today. now its my favorite.

[@codykorzenowski6888]

Same

[@Mireaze]

I would kill to get my hands on one of these. Maybe if I win the lottery. Remember seeing one outside the MK vw center without the rear wheel covers. Looks freaky without them.

[@jnvqc]

Why? This car's performance is not that impressive, it's not that green either, it's not particularly historical significant, even less after Tesla succeeded in creating a practical electrical car. This car was the product of the egomaniacal diesel gate VW, who wanted a 1l/100km car to show German -superiority- superior engineering. In the late 90s VW wanted to show the world that it was the best car company, they created 3 projects: the fastest car in the world (W12/Veyron), the best luxury car (Phantom/Continental) and the first 1l/100km car (XL1). But then they cheated (dieselgate) and were beaten by a small Californian start up. Now they have swallowed their pride and are cutting their losses with the ID range (awful name BTW). So the XL1 is representative of a past even VW is not proud of.

[@TristanSilverwood]

@@jnvqc you can't say id is a bad name and then get all hot and bothered over the name "model" from tesla lol

[@edstratton]

@@jnvqc Most of your comments are complete nonsense: "This car's performance is not that impressive" - rubbish, you know this car was ONLY designed for efficiency and NOTHING else, and in that regard it out-performs anything else ever built, even to this day; "It's not that green either" - Not correct. The greenest car is the car that requires the least energy to be propelled along the road and that is the XL1, by a big margin. However I admit it is TRUE that when the XL1's combustion engine is running it is NOT as green as a pure electric car running on electricity that was generated from a renewable source like wind power or solar; "It is not particularly historically significant" - You're kidding! The XL1 is still the only car ever put into production that was designed 100% for EXTREME efficiency above all else by taking weight, aerodynamics and low rolling resistance to extreme limits. It's a total landmark in automotive design. You are correct that Teslas launched a practical pure electric car years before (the Tesla Roadster in Feb 2008) but that was a different kind of landmark, albeit an amazing one. "This product was the product of dieselgate VW" - NO, the cheating all started years after the XL1 was launched and had nothing to do with it; You meant Phaeton, not "Phantom". "VW made the Veyron, the Phaeton and the XL1 but were then beaten by Tesla" (or words to that effect) - If you think that getting a few years head start on VW in electric car development means they had "beaten" all of those amazing achievements by VW, you have a very distorted sense of perspective; "VW are cutting their losses with the ID range" - hardly cutting their losses considering that the ID cars are already outselling all Tesla sales in some countries, and their MEB platform appears to be well on course to dominate the electric car market within 5 to 10 years; "The XL1 is representative of a past even VW are not proud of" - how can that possibly be correct when the time that VW are not proud of (the dieselgate cheating) came years AFTER the XL1 was launched. I'm not belittling Tesla's achievements which have been incredibly impressive - just trying to get a more correct sense of context and perspective here. A lot of Tesla enthusiasts are launching verbal attacks on VW at the moment because they are starting to see that Tesla's days leading the electric car market in terms of sales will soon be over (though I suspect they will lead the way on the software side of things for a long time to come).

[@hansvanlennep6376]

@@edstratton great reaction.... I think some Tesla enthousiasts don't realize that when the big boys enter (like VW, Porsche, Toyota, Mercedes, Audi, etc) the electric dominance of Tesla is not going to hold. Again, like you mentioned, they did an astonishing job and I'm glad that they were pioneers on this front but their sales are not comparable to the other car manufacturers.

[@mateotoro2395]

@@jnvqc do you realise that electric cars are only less pollutant in countries that have (mildly) green energy mix, and only contaminate less in the cities in other countries. This car, however, is clean everywhere, and not only in countries where the energy mix has significant renewable energy production. The tesla production line is really pollutant due to the batteries, so it is only efficient in first world countries with renewable energy sources, or in cities, where less air pollution is worth the overall higher pollution.

[@martshearer498]

A marvel of efficiency! I hope that one day the lightweight construction will be mated to an electric drivetrain in a more affordable vehicle.

[@edstratton]

That's what I'm hoping for too! I love driving the XL1 in EV (pure electric) mode but I only tend to do that on the way home when I get about 25 miles from home, as the range in EV mode is quite limited on a hybrid vehicle (VW claim 30 miles in the XL1).

[@FishBoyBlue]

out of everything, i really appreciate the open door graphic that shows the door is up over the car.

[@savagee4641]

This car looks like it’s from the Blade Runner movie. Love it!

[@KarlitosWay4463]

God bless you Mister, this is now one of my dream cars. Drive safe 😇

[@sameedsaad4740]

Wonderful review, loved the video and was hooked till the last second. Keep it up!!

[@edstratton]

Thank you very much!

[@DobroPlayer12]

I like the fact that they made it mid-engined with vents that look like the original Beetle, much better than boring front wheel drive hybrids like the Prius.

[@Ultravore]

Still looks brand new after 5 years of ownership. Well done 👍

[@edstratton]

Thanks! I have always tried very hard to keep it looking new. It’s quite difficult to keep the interior plastics perfect in the foot wells due to the fine knobbly surface which takes permanent scuffs incredibly easily. You literally have to guide passenger’s legs in and out and preferably wrap their shoes/feet in a towel!!!

[@onurozel2443]

Great video, watched it in one sitting. I am not young(38), but it is getting harder to watch videos longer than 10 mins :) this is different though, very imformative and sincere. Hope you will post more of these. Thank you.

[@edstratton]

Thank you! I really appreciate your comment, as it's my first ever video. [I smiled when you said 38 is not young! I am 63 and I still feel young... ! But yes it gets harder to watch long videos!]

[@jamesengland7461]

Not young???

[@TomislavKoren]

@@jamesengland7461 Yes, interesting, I'm 38 and still I feel like kid - I bought to myself last week winter cap with bunny ears. Couldn resist it for 4 quid. My wife doesn't want to go out with me wearing that, but apart from those small kiddish contenments I'm fully functional owner of small business. Guess age is definition of individual. However, I see something other here and that's Onur's incapability of concentration for watching anything longer of 10 minutes. That shows where we're headed as world. If I'm not interested, I'm not watching, if subject is of my choice then I could watch for hours depending if it's business related or pure amusement/relaxation.

[@Balkonafide]

As I usually don't like the concept of new cars, yours commentary made me to like this VW XL1. This car feels amazing! Could you please make video of you driving this beauty?

[@edstratton]

Yes I plan to do a driving video in the near future! When the weather improves...

[@pimpisen]

Highly informed man 🙂 I could watch more content from you. Great video sir!

[@edstratton]

I appreciate that! Thank you.

[@Shane55able]

Breathtaking. VW are fantastic. Welcome to the future!!!

[@deltajohnny]

Awesome car, and thank you very much for showing it to us! We really appreciate it 👏👏👏👏😉😉😉😉

[@edstratton]

Thanks! You’re welcome, I enjoyed making my first video!

[@deltajohnny]

@@edstratton Congrats, and I assure you that it will have lots of views 👏👏👏😁😁😁

[@nayzerie]

we need more of these hyper efficient cars on the road.

[@maerklin29800]

Every electric car is hyper efficient compared to an ice one.

[@winnerwinds6509]

@@maerklin29800 Nope. Range is the problem.

[@maerklin29800]

@@winnerwinds6509 so 300-400 miles is notbenough for you?

[@winnerwinds6509]

@@maerklin29800 No, because after that 300 miles ( which a gas car also achieves), you have to wait hours to recharge it rather than just putting gas into the tank. Untill electric cars can charge in minutes, i wont be buying one. I think hybrid is a much better option since you get best of both worlds.

[@maerklin29800]

@@winnerwinds6509 wtf?! In which year do you live man. We have 2020 and electric cars are capable of charging to 80% in round about 25 minutes. With hybrids you don't get the best of both worlds, you get the worst. No pure electric power and no electric range combined with a highly inefficient motor that needs maintenance. Electric cars nearly don't need any maintenance. Tesla for ecample has no service intervalls. So they are a lot cheaper to operate than hybrids and ice.

[@rendaddy_]

Great tour, thank you. I would love to see an XL2, possibly fully electric.

[@cjeam9199]

Thanks for this video, it’s really interesting to hear from an owner of one of these what they think. I think they’re really cool vehicles. As an engineering exercise like you say it’s truly impressive what they achieved and a totally different sort of “supercar”. While obviously electric vehicles are the way of the future, in some ways it’s a shame that we likely won’t see more extremely efficient hybrid combustion engine vehicles like this. I wish they’d built lots more of them, because then I might have a chance of being able to afford one one day! I’ve thought about buying a VW Lupo 3L, which of course was a more consumer level vehicle in a similar hyper efficient vein and I believe probably took a lot of ideas from the very start of XL1 development when it came out in 2001ish, getting around 90mpg I think compared to 310mpg, or maybe it inspired them to do the XL1. I would really really love to see VW do the same thing in a few years with an electric drivetrain, and see how they can make a light, efficient and slippery consumer EV based on what they learnt from the XL1. Despite their emissions scandal, which was a great shame, it’s really impressive what VW can manage.

[@edstratton]

cjeam, I agree with everything you say! I believe VW started developing the "1 litre car" (which became the XL1) in 2002 so I can imagine that the Lupo 3L was the previous efficiency project which provided inspiration for the project. Like you I hope very much that VW will one day mass produce a more affordable pure electric, light, efficient and slippery consumer EV that uses all that they learned from the XL1.

[@dhutch2000]

Yes. Presumably they didn't think the market would stand more, or didn't actually make money on the sales vs build cost even excluding development? Not sure. I would love one, but could justify the new cost.

[@gur262]

@@edstratton while... I mean. It's an efficient car but the l1 already feels overpowered, the xl1. Kinda fat for the carbon etc. A plastic n aluminum caterham weighs way less at80hp. Sure no roof... Still. For being so expensive and using fairydust materials, it ain't impressive. I'd love an actual reason why the l1 at half the weight with better aero didnt happen.

[@sketchpro12]

Love this car, thanks for sharing! I also followed it as well, but it never came to the U.S. so I've never seen one in person :( I really wish they had kept developing the XL series and made the XL Sport, the wider bodied, AWD sport version they touted, but never produced. I flew to Germany back in 2003 just to drive the MK4 R32 on the Autobahn and visit Autostadt, And then promptly bought one when available in 2004 in the US. Had it for 13 years and sold it once I had the eGolf, (which I was hoping had more XL tech then it did) I now own a Tesla Model 3 and absolutely love it and I imagine it is what you feel when you say that the XL was the car you were waiting for... same for me now with the Tesla. Thanks again for sharing, look forward to seeing more and hopefully one day see or even drive an XL1! cheers!

[@edstratton]

Yes I was disappointed too about the XL Sport not being produced. It was gorgeous and technically right up my street. I know what you mean about your Tesla. I was very interested in the model S when it came out. Unfortunately for me however, just having one big screen to look at as my dashboard was a real turn off as I'd got sick of having to look at laptops and tablets all day every day for work and the last thing I wanted was to have another one to look at in my car! Good luck and I hope you do get to drive an XL1 one day.

[@roscoejones4515]

Very articulate and knowledgeable review, well done and thank you! You're great at this, you should try to build up your channel!

[@edstratton]

Thanks Roscoe!

[@kosmonautik639]

Didn't even know it existed... Cool car

[@bits2646]

Finally!! I was waiting for a feedback from an actual owner from the day it start selling.. Looks interesting but I was very curious how will it perform on a longer run, 5 years is a pretty decent age to get a proper feedback and I look really forward into seeing a review.. It kinda looks and feels futuristic yet familiar in VW style..

[@edstratton]

Thanks for the positive feedback. I will be doing some driving videos with the XL1 but the weather here in the UK is pretty atrocious this time of year, so probably won't get round to that for a while.

[@bits2646]

@@edstratton Great! Looking forward to see the video! Thank you for the job well done sir!

[@joshwm2323]

Stickleback

[@edstratton]

@@joshwm2323 ???

[@averagecarguy420]

I own a 1.9TDI mk4 Jetta. VW diesels are great, I get amazing MPG. I’d love to have one of these and get the incredible economy!

[@JayMaverick]

Wonderful presentation of this rare car. Thanks!

[@edstratton]

Thank You!

[@POTThaesslich]

I didn't know they actually sold this. I was aware of the L1 but not the XL1. thank you youtube algorithm. and thanks Ed for making this Video

[@Jeroenneman]

Audi bragging about their camera's as side mirrors in 2020. This car had them years ago...

[@I007IRedemption]

Regulations have been updated since this car was released, the technical requirements for modern Mirror Replacement Cameras are significantly more advanced and difficult to integrate into the packaging requirements of a car.... though it is impressive to see this technology in such an old car, meeting current regulations is more of a challenge now than it would have been then.

[@braydoncoate]

audi is voltswagen

[@avinci3116]

Audi = Volkswagen

[@ecurb10]

Yes it seems a no-brainer to have cameras instead of mirrors, and not hard to do (just like reversing cameras), so it's funny how it's taken them so long to do this. That said, I think there are regulations around this, depending on country, so that might be why.

[@TK-rz9no]

@1% Evan Ł volkswagen owns audi for more than a decade as far as i know so its not audi's product

[@edwardszane]

Really well done. Thanks

[@TheAstraios]

A downwards incline is a decline :). This is the first time I've seen this type of car. Very cool machine, thanks for sharing!

[@zumwild]

The VW Lupo 3L and Audi A2 3L forerunners to these 10 years before (best mpg I have had was 87mpg on a 50+ mile run at motorway speeds but 114.8mpg has been achieved driving round the coastline of Britain in 2001 by Shigeru Miyano), and you can see the XL1 is an evolution of some aspects of the earlier cars taken to extreme. Those 3L models are very cheap now, and an A2 3L might be an interesting companion to this. Once you learn how the computer gets the good MPG with crazy gear changes and coasting, you can manually anticipate terrain, traffic and your own desired route and optimise further by seeing ahead and manually controlling shifts, stop start, gear changes getting up to another 5%. Would be interesting to know if you can beat the computer in the XL1 like that!

[@jfett77]

This got recommended to me after watching mr jww video lol.

[@edstratton]

Thanks I hadn't yet noticed JWW had done a video on the XL1. He did a great job of it too!

[@shariif]

Same here

[@andreashabeck1155]

Same, love the xl1

[@seanlovi8798]

Me too

[@otthonzulles2592]

This video was far-far better; not the supercar bulls***.

[@daffiid]

She's an absolute stunner!

[@SirTubeALotMore]

Thank’s for showing your fantastic car

[@Zwaolin]

Got to drive one last year in university in the automotive software development class. It's very interesting to drive one of these. Found the mirrors to be a little bit awkward, but you probably get used to them. I really liked the seating position and how the steering felt.

[@flooooooo0686]

Most beautiful VW ever built! Shame it never went into full scale production. Brilliant design.

[@MaximilienRobespierre1]

Beautiful car, I remember reading about it when it first came out, always wondered what happened to it.

[@turboman4635]

That looks like so much fun

[@edstratton]

It's fun to drive but the best fun is the reaction it gets! Stopping to fill up is always an event!

[@cammydough3184]

I’m really surprised how similar it looks to the original concept sketches, you don’t see that very often, looks like they knew what they wanted from the car from the get go and everything went to plan!

[@MarcelGhani-gj7lx]

Way ahead of its time awesome

[@gafrers]

Wonderful. Thank you for this detailed video. Always loved this car.

[@edstratton]

Thank you, I enjoyed making it.

[@kieranpenrose]

Fantastic video, Fantastic car

[@SockyNoob]

Unironically one of my favorite cars made in the past decade, regardless of dieselgate.

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

The greatest tragedy is this brilliant design seems to have been ignored. But I really like that car. Its exactly my approach to design, efficiency and capability. Love it!

[@paveantelic7876]

fantastic video, keep it up!

[@edstratton]

Thank you very much!

[@paullacey2999]

Im a huge fan of this car.I love it when engineering not accountants bring a car to market.Still looks futuristic.But I will stick with my trusty up!

[@justin_time]

Super cool video! Thanks for sharing!

[@JRP3]

Always liked the look of this vehicle, just wished they made it a full EV. Maybe scale it up a bit as well. Dreams...

[@TheHeinrichz]

Am I the only one who really enjoyed all bird twitter in the backgroud?

[@edstratton]

I was wondering when someone would mention that! I made that video back in May when the birds were in song most of the day. Really enjoy hearing them now that we’re in the depths of winter.

[@eric4758]

I can hardly hear the audio on my earbuds even with the volume turned all the way up.

[@SortItOotMan]

Neat, thanks for sharing. Now about those editing skills :D

[@DamianBrown]

Yes!

[@ryanryan439]

Seen these for sale about twice but never knew much about them. Very intriguing vehicle

[@DerpEye]

I had a Daihatsu Copen, which is a conventional car with a 1.3l, 90hp engine. Weighted only 850kg, and was almost the same size as this. Also was a convertible with hard top. It's completely possible to make normal cars this light and efficient, not supercar-like carbon fiber toys like this one.

[@laurens557]

Couldn’t help but notice the Aston in the garage, amazing

[@edstratton]

Actually the grey car that you can see the back of in the garage is an old Fiat 1500 from 1961. I don’t own an Aston! The other car, the one with a cover over it, is an old VW Phaeton from 2011 which I have since sold.

[@philthewriter]

Love these cars, some very clever tech. Clever design as well, love all the aero touches and the overall tiny footprint. Shame they're not cheaper!

[@MichaelVanBladel]

they need to make more of these kinds of cars! its brilliant

[@easy08154711]

This is how modern cars should look like, but instead they are 2tons monster SUVs. A pure EV in that shape would be interessting.

[@edstratton]

I agree!

[@JasonWW2000]

2.5 ton

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

What a remarkable car! I wonder what people in 2050 will think about it. I think they will say that it was ahead of its time.

[@edstratton]

I agree, and in fact, I would not be surprised if it still looks completely 'right' and up to date in 2050. The design has a timeless quality that may never date.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

@@edstratton completely agree with you :)

[@Pogost1ck]

THey should've made many, many more of these. If they were affordable I'd have one.

[@edstratton]

I so wish VW would make a new, more affordable version, using cheaper materials, as a pure EV, and a bit bigger, but exactly the same look and shape. It would be a hit.

[@Ermy1996]

@@edstratton i'd want one for sure.

[@adamfox264]

I saw one of these at a car show in Devon. I think it might have been the Paignton car show.

[@AP.h24]

How did you get ahold of this car? Ive been serching for one sine 2016

[@edstratton]

VW sold 200 of the XL1 to the public as a limited edition production run in 2014-2015. Back then, you could just contact VW and order one which is what I did. Today there are usually 2 or 3 of them available used in Germany on www.mobile.de and you sometimes see them come up for auction in the UK at the collector car auctions (several have been sold through Silverstone Auctions since you started searching in 2016). Good luck with your search!

[@AP.h24]

@@edstratton thank you!

[@KubikCv]

So much tech...carbon fiber, diesel engine with electric motor and DSG..Cd - 0.189. In 1999 , small car with some modifications - VW Lupo 3L , 4 seater ,weight 830kg , Cd - 0.29 , 1.2 TDi engine with primitive start/stop and automated manual transmission :) Only few parts from alluminium and magnesium

[@eriktempelman2097]

Great video about a seriously impressive car. I envy its owner!

[@otthonzulles2592]

Dear Sir, thanks for sharing your video and opinions, nice car, i can imagine this as a daily driver too 😄

[@edstratton]

Thanks. It does make a great daily driver!

[@type1krush205]

THIS VIDEO REMINDS ME OF CLIVE SINCLAIR IN THE C5 PULLING UP BACK IN THE 80S !

[@edstratton]

Ha ha! Well the XL1 is probably as radical today as the C5 was when it first appeared in the 80s, but there (I hope) the similarity ends!

[@type1krush205]

@@edstratton I just think Clive Sinclair was something of a visionary back in my childhood years ! Who would have thought back in the 80s that vehicles like the XL1 would have been achievable is really remarkable quite frankly ! What another 30 years into the future lies within the automobile industry who knows ?

[@edstratton]

@@type1krush205 I agree - I remember when the C5 came out in 1985. He certainly was a visionary alright, but perhaps thinking too far ahead of his time for his own good. When you think how far the car industry has come in just 100 years, and how innovation and invention is accelerating all the time, another 30 years could certainly bring massive change. Perhaps cars will look a lot more like the XL1 than they do today, though with less of the practical everyday-living features stripped out.

[@type1krush205]

@@edstratton Yes it was a crying shame that between Mr Sinclair's ideas and the then (extinct)British Car Manufacturing sector they were unable to fuse together ! (The what ifs ? ) On the whole it's refreshing and relevant to see that you drive a car that I would consider maybe to be something of a complete package in terms of aesthetics + engineering 👌

[@johnwest7993]

I like your car very much. It's beautiful. I have heard that they aren't especially comfortable and noisy. But having driven only a motorcycle for several years in Colorado, USA I suspect I would find it very convenient and comfy.

[@justlukas701]

Such a cool car 👍🏼

[@klausp7035]

just love your car, thanks for sharing

[@petejennings9715]

If this car is/was available in America at all, I'd gladly trade my current in for this, no doubt

[@nilsfrederking62]

Thanks for the very interesting video. This car has a stunning design, very well thought details and very progressive, only drawback is that it has a combustion engine. This XL1 as a battery electric vehicle would be excellent. Imagine what range you could achieve with such a design. Before the Tesla Model 3 was unveiled, I thought they would use rear wheel covers too, to get a better range, but I suppose they did not because they wanted it to look as familiar as possible, to have a more mainstream design.

[@edstratton]

Totally agree. You're absolutely right. Bear in mind though, that to get a good range as a pure EV the batteries would be much more heavy, so you'd need a more powerful motor as well. But if the size of the car was scaled up to take them, and still had just as aerodynamic a shape, and as low rolling resistance as possible, then I guess the range would be pretty amazing compared to other EVs of the same weight.

[@brianiswrong]

Thankyou for the full walk around ,tour and owner knowledge. Did vw secure a large batch of the tyres,as I guess your local Kwik fit isn't going to stock them?

[@edstratton]

Buyers of the XL1 were advised that VW would support the car with all parts for at least 15 years, so until 2030 at least. I've already had one rear tyre replaced but I didn't pay for it because it was damaged by something on the surface of the trailer on which it was transported to be serviced. I was advised that a new tyre costs around £800 GBP!

[@ThatBulgarian]

That picture next to a smart car is wild

[@dhutch2000]

Amazing cars. I was lucky enough to be able to sit in one while I worked at JCB as they got in interesting cars for designers to appraise. Quite different to a normal road car, especially in size as you say, but like you I could happly own and use one. As a new graduate, now 33 with a house project, I simply wouldn't be able to afford one as yet, but I'm hopeful cars if this profile will become more common. Certainly to me it has a greater appeal than a softroader suv!

[@edstratton]

Ah yes, JCB purchased one new in 2015 and I believe they still have it. Good luck for the future and I hope you do get to own one eventually!

[@dhutch2000]

@@edstratton Ah really, good to know, I didn't know they had bought it. Usually they hook them in on a bit of lease/favour/press type basis I believe.

[@robotsvst2000]

What a great looking car