Volkswagen head Wolfgang Bernhard plans to launch 20 new vehicles in the next five years, including production versions of the breath-taking Concept R and a large four-door coupé dubbed the C1.
Volkswagen head Wolfgang Bernhard plans to launch 20 new vehicles in the next five years, including production versions of the breath-taking Concept R and a large four-door coupé dubbed the C1.
The two niche models are part of Volkswagen’s aggressive expansion plan, which includes the launch of 10 models in brand-new segments.
The Concept R’s mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sporty styling drew rave reviews when the concept roadster was unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Roadster and coupé versions of the concept remain under development and it has been rumoured that Bernhard last year rejected a production version of the roadster because it would have been too expensive. Though it will be pitted head-to-head against the Porsche Boxster, the revised version of the Concept R will be less complex and cheaper to build. It will be targeted mainly at the US and European markets.
The Concept R-based duo is likely to arrive in the “latter half” of the five-year period, reported. One problem though, is that the Concept R’s mid-engined layout cannot be supported by an existing platform within VW’s stable and a suitable production partner for the vehicle still has to be found.
Volkswagen will also launch a four-door coupé, codenamed C1, by 2010. The car will be positioned between the new Passat and the Phaeton flagship model.
Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that the Golf 6 could be launched as early as 2008 – a year earlier than expected. Compared with its rivals, production costs of the current Golf 5 are high, and VW’s engineers have been instructed to keep its successor’s engineering simple. The premature production of the Golf 6 could help to further reduce the Volkswagen’s costs.
