Rendered Speculation: SEAT to get its own BlueSport roadster?
Volkswagen has been toying with mid-engined concepts and compact roadsters for years now, but we're told that the BlueSport concept that the automaker revealed in Detroit is close to the finished product. But after years of gestation, Volkswagen isn't about to let the BlueSport go it alone. Not when the cost of developing a new mid-engined platform could be shared across its various brands.
An Audi derivative, like a little brother to the R8 and TT is in the cards. A Porsche version is reportedly not. But VW's Spanish subsidiary SEAT could get its own version. Supposedly Volkswagen's sportiest division, SEAT is lacking a halo car to embody what the brand is supposed to stand for. And considering all of its other products share their underpinnings with existing Volkswagens (or Audi, in the case of the Exeo), chances are good that the bigwigs in Stuttgart will give their Spanish subordinates the green light. Check out the BlueSport gallery below and then hit the link to see Paul Tan's SEAT renderings.
[Source: paultan.org]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
firstplace 2:28PM (1/24/2009)
hope this dose not turn into rebadge special...
Reply
Alex 3:26PM (1/24/2009)
so what if it does? if the cars don't directly compete against each other (price and market wise) its a great way to cut costs. that still means that they will need to be quite different because i doubt anybody will want to pay 5K extra for the car becaus it has an audi logo on it instead of a volks. i know i wouldn't anyways.
BoxerFanatic 3:49PM (1/24/2009)
Ok... edge of overboard here.
I get a VW diesel convertible.
I get putting it up just a bit to Audi R4 coupe, and perhaps convertible also, and replacing the over-priced TT, but under the Boxster and Cayman.
But exactly what does SEAT bring to the table in terms of differentiation? If they go way cheaper, what does that say about the chassis underpinning this thing, and the profit margins that would be charged for the higher end variants?
And while I am excited about mid-engined cars, I know they are not mainstream appliances... how much demand is there really for this sort of thing?
I am very in favor of a few well done cars, but overkill and dilution are another matter.
Reply
raize221 3:52PM (1/24/2009)
Is it just me or is that SEAT front end ripped from Mazda?
...kinda looks like an RX-8 mated with a Solstice....
Reply
alex 6:09PM (1/24/2009)
there would be 900 comments if this were about GM making 3 versions of a new product.
Reply
Olivier Parent 5:33AM (1/25/2009)
The volkswagen-audi group makes use of the same engines and platforms for all 4 of its main brands, but they don't usually share interiors nor exteriors, and if they do, it's of different generations. That's ok IMO. It's bad when it's just some minor cosmetic changes and a different badge and the cars are aimed at the same target group.
Reply