Fast and Frugal: VW EcoRacer Concept

By Feann Torr - 21/10/2005

If Volkswagen had launched the EcoRacer at a European or American motor show, it could have been accused of being radical, unusual even.

But at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show it appeared almost dull when compared to some of the automotive freaks that fought for their share of the spotlight in Japan.

Indeed, the EcoRacer's design has little in common with Volkswagen's regular concept cars, which usually bear at least a some semblance to their road-going cousins. Not this one, though - it's experimental.

As well as being a thought provoking, eye-catching design - one that can transform from a coupe into a roadster and then onto a speedster without too much rigmarole - it's also a technology test bed, says VW, one that will prove invaluable in implementing it's next generation of diesel motors.

Before we get to the EcoRacer's mechanicals though, there are some nice design cues that deserve a bit of attention. Made from CFP, otherwise known as carbon fibre reinforced plastic, the EcoRacer is light, rigid and quite striking to look at, too.

Measuring 3.77 metres long and 1.21 metres high, it's a fairly compact design, and despite it's long bonnet it's turbo diesel engine is mounted in front of the rear axle for a mid-mounted layout.

LEDs abound in the EcoRacer, adding to its modernistic styling, with the front headlights comprised of some 50 light emitting diodes. The front end is dominated by the large grille, where the recessed and slightly raised headlights add a touch aggression to proceedings, as do the short front overhangs.

Like most cars with a mid-mount engine, the EcoRacer has air intakes scultped into the bodywork just behind the doors. From the rear the car looks just as impressive, with it's centrally-mounted exhaust outlet perched above a tasteful diffuser.

Making use of RGB-LEDs, the brake lights are a strong styling cue at the rear instantly attracting the eye with their magna-like luminosity, and can be activated in different colours to act as indicators, brake and driving lights.

VW explains that, between the LED boards that make up the neon-look brake lights, there exists a thin electro-luminescent foil giving the brake lights a seamless and smooth finish.

Volkswagen chose 17-inch alloy rims for its provocative Tokyo Motor Show concept car, yet because of its stubby proportions and low ride height they appear much larger. Tyres sizes are 175/55 R17 at the front and 225/45 R17 at the rear.

Thanks to the EcoRacer's CFP bodywork, which helps it attain a very useful 850kg kerb weight, the car has a top speed of 230km/h and will complete the all-important sports car benchmark 0-100km/h sprint in just 6.3 seconds. This figure is even more remarkable when you consider that the EcoRacer is powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine.

Volkswagen boasts that it is an "experimental engine that will be the engine of the future" and is currently still under trial, but as you can see from the photos, real world speed and economy tests have been carried out - this is fully functioning prototype.

The turbo diesel direct injection engine, displacing 1484cc, is an inline 4-cylinder mill that cranks out 100kW or 136hp @ 4000rpm, while peak torque of "more than 250Nm" is regulated between 1900 and 3750rpm. Together with a DSG double-clutch gearbox, the EcoRacer demonstrates that big fun doesn't have to mean big engine.

The experimental powerplant, referred to as a "highly charged downsizing concept" by VW, has a 17.2:1 compression ratio and already adheres to the planned for the EU-5 exhaust standard, sucking down just 3.4 litres of diesel fuel per 100km on average, and is able to travel more than 1000 kilometres on one tank (30 litres) if driven frugally.

Although an unfair comparison, most of the large Aussie cars we road test would be lucky to do half that on tanks twice the size.

Interestingly, the 1.5 TDI that was developed for the EcoRacer can apply the CCS process. CCs, or combined combustion system, is, in VW's words, "the combustion process of the intermediate future, and combines the advantages of diesel and petrol engines, using synthetic fuels."

Like all good concept cars, and even some bad ones, simply getting into the car is something to tell friends about: rather than employing the tradition key and barrel lock system, the door locks of the VW technology concept are electromechanical, part of what the German company terms the "Keyless-Entry-and-Go" system.

Moreover, when the door catches release, the related roof sections will swing upwards to facilitate ingress and egress, which is a rather nice courtesy. As was mentioned earlier, the EcoRacer concept is a veritable transformer toy, with three modes: coupe, roadster (no roof) and speedster (no a-pillar/windscreen). Volkswagen reckons that in the speedster mode, drivers can hoon around without a crash helmet, because a) the roll bars will save you if you clip a kerb and flip the thing, and b) the aerodynamics guide the airflow over your head (unless you're 6'8").

The 2-seater concept car is built on a polycoque frame, rather than the common monocoque frame, which translated means 'many shell' instead of the 'single shell' monocoque. What does this do for the lightweight car? No idea, but it sounded good in the press release. Seriously though, it's just a different way of providing a stiff foundation for the car, with the polycoque frame comprised of a chassis pan, two side members and the dashboard.

With this rigid base to build upon the crafty Volkswagen R&D engineers employed an aluminium double wishbone axle setup at the front, with racing shock absorbers and springs to provide for rapid steering response and back-jarring feedback. In combination with the mid mounted engine, providing for a 39:61 front:rear weight distribution, the rear end gets a four-control-shaft rear axle (loosely based that was used in the Golf V, while the driveshaft is borrowed from the Golf GTI), endowing it with ultra-sporty on road behaviour.

Volkswagen also reveals that a "handbrake lever would only get in the way in a pure-bred sports car anyway," and so the electric parking brake from the Passat was integrated into the design. Though preaching to the converted here, it's good to see that VW is still very serious about its performance vehicles.

Deceleration wasn't forgotten in the super-frugal performance concept study either, with 288mm front disc brakes and 286mm rear discs easily washing off speed from the 230km/h, 850kg sports car.

The Volkswagen EcoRacer concept highlights the company's ability to design a decidedly attractive and indeed contemporary coupe/roadster from lightweight materials (did I mention those brake lights?), but it also gives weight to the notion of a new era of powerful, compact and incredibly efficient engines.

The EcoRacer is a concept car first and foremost, one designed to appeal to the Japanese showgoer, but it's also a technology test-bed that the German automaker will be developing over time to improve the business case for such high power, low emission engines. And who knows, maybe it'll build a Lotus Elise-rivalling 850kg sportster for general consumption? Stranger things have happened...