Forget about adding the Volkswagen XL1 to your car collection, Jay Leno, it’ll only be available for lease

By Nick Jaynes Published May 29, 2013

Volkswagen XL1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

When Volkswagen unveiled the production XL1, the most fuel-efficient and aerodynamic production car in the world, we jumped for joy.

It is essentially – save 500 horsepower – everything we dream future cars to be: fuel-efficient (261 mpg!), tech-savvy, and visually dynamic.

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We then learned Volkswagen would only make a limited run of the XL1s, around 250 or so. Then we learned they weren’t likely to ship any Stateside. If they did send some across the pond, it’d only a hand-full, 20 or so.

Now we’ve learned VW is considering the XL1 as a lease-only car, according to Auto Blog Green.

How are we not surprised?

Since the debacle of the General Motors EV1 of the 1990s and the ensuing “Who Killed the Electric Car” documentary, we figured automakers had learned their lesson not to keep their extremely forward-thinking cars under veritable wraps.

We wonder: why make them at all if we can’t even keep them? We realize only a few would actually ever be used, the rest would be snapped up by millionaire weirdos like Jay Leno, only to be held captive for all eternity in their colossal shrines to all things motoring. We had hoped for a moment at least a few would live on as daily drivers. Alas.

So there we have it, folks. The Volkswagen XL1: the future of automotive engineering. If you’re lucky enough to even get close to one, you’ll never get to keep it.

Cheers.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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