The mad scientists at Volkswagen have wheeled out a bullet-shaped diesel-electric plug-in hybrid that gets a stunning 261 mpg. VW claims it is the most fuel-efficient hybrid ever, and it shows what’s possible when you let your engineers run wild. It is with supreme irony that the Germans will unveil the XL1 concept car at the Qatar Motor Show this week. The car, the latest in the company’s ongoing experiments with ultra-efficient vehicles, was born of the simple question, “Just how much could the energy consumption of cars be reduced if all the stops were pulled out for efficiency?” This is a question Volkswagen then-chairman Dr. Ferdinand Piëch posed to his engineers almost a decade ago, and one automakers around the world are grappling with as they face tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations. Piëch challenged his team to build a car capable of going 100 kilometers on a single liter of fuel — the equivalent of 235 mpg. VW’s been at it ever since, turning out concepts with stellar fuel economy but less-than-stellar practicality. The XL1 is the latest project, the one you’d most likely want to live with and the one most likely to see production.

The latest shots show that the car will in fact rely on cameras for driver visibility. The lack of door mirrors should help keep the car sleek – Volkswagen listed the concept's drag coefficient at just 0.186. This car is also missing the full rear-wheel covers that will give the car optimal aerodynamics.

With the gullwing-like doors open, we can also see some of the interior, which has a very similar appearance as the concept including the large gauge cluster, navigation screen, shift lever and center stack controls. The instrument panel and A-pillar look to made from carbon fiber. One thing we can't see from this shot is the arrangement of the passenger seats. The concept car featured an offset seating configuration, and it isn't clear if this will carry over to the production design.

From these shots we can also see into the rear engine compartment showing a large cooling fan over what is expected to be a small, two-cylinder diesel engine. This efficient engine combined with a 27-horsepower electric motor and seven-speed DSG transmission is what will help give this car its triple-digit fuel economy numbers.

VW XL1 - 133 Kilometers per liter; take a seat and absorb this imaginary figure]Except that this is not an imaginary figure anymore. Volkswagen has finally spilled beans on the production plans of the Volkswagen XL1 Concept.

Volkswagen XL1 – a 313mpg two-seater – will go in sale in limited numbers next year.

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