Come November, the show-going public in Los Angeles will get a first-hand look at a VW-badged two-seat, mid-engine coupe and roadster, promises VW Chairman Martin Winterkorn. If public reaction is positive, the car could hit the streets as early as 2011.

The man in charge of the styling of the sports car will be none other than Audi’s Walter da Silva, who penned the 2006 Lamborghini Miura concept, says a report from U.K. car mag Autocar.

The lightweight car is to compete with the Lotus Elise, but be less costly. It will be powered by choice of four-cylinder inline-four engines set in a Porsche Boxster-like layout between the axles. A gasoline 1.4-liter turbo engine making 168 horsepower and a new 1.6-liter diesel with 125hp are under consideration. Either engine will put down its power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Thanks in part to an aluminum spaceframe, the car would weigh in at under 2,200lbs, delivering performance similar to a 200hp GTI’s while besting its fuel economy. An Audi version of the car is also likely, as is a Porsche derivative. The Audi car would probably use the 211hp 2.0TFSI engine, with the option of a twin-turbo 2.0-liter TDI good for 204hp. Porsche’s version would likely revive the 914 nameplate, which was also co-developed with VW.

The Audi car would probably use the 211hp 2.0TFSI engine, with the option of a twin-turbo 2.0-liter TDI good for 204hp

a 7 speed DSG makes as much sense as a V7 motor

Back in July, rumors broke about a mid-engined roadster set to be unveiled by Volkswagen at the LA Auto Show in November. If you’re wondering how the car might look, look no farther than our artist’s slick new illustration of the forthcoming model. As indicated by sources, the vehicle will have a Scirocco-inspired look and sports car proportions.

Designed as a rival to the Lotus Elise, the car would be relatively affordable, extremely light, and unlike past concepts, intended for production. “It is the fifth time in as many years that we have created such a [concept] car, but this time, more than any other, the signs are looking good that we will get production approval,” a source told Automotive News in August.

Expected to enter production some time in the next two years, the car will weigh around 2,200 pounds and be motivated by a 168 horsepower engine. The car’s platform might be shared with the forthcoming Porsche 914, which would slot below the Cayman and Boxster.

In the four years of its existence, the Volkswagen Group's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) automatic transmission has established itself as one of the best 'boxes on the market.

Not only is it a fine gearbox, but it's also a sales success. Over 1,000,000 DSG-equipped cars have been sold and Volkswagen thinks it has only just scratched the surface of the sales potential.

Since its launch, engineers have been fitting the DSG to as many cars as possible - by the end of 2007, 75 different models in the European range were offered with the dual-clutch gearbox. However, VW then ran into a problem: excellent though the six-speed auto is, it won't fit into anything smaller than the Golf. The solution? The new DSG-7.

VW's engineers decided to go for seven speeds in order to allow a lower first gear that would avoid clutch slipping in slow-moving traffic, with seventh gear intended as an overdrive for motorway driving.

Despite sharing the same number of gears and the same name as the gearbox in the 987bhp Bugatti Veyron, the new gearbox, unsurprisingly, has little in common with the one fitted to the supercar. Instead, the all-new unit majors in efficiency: for example, despite the extra gear, the new gearbox weighs in at 70kg, 23kg less than the six-speed version.

The chief reason for the savings is the ditching of the DSG-6's liquid cooling for its clutches, favouring instead a 'dry' arrangement. Without an oil bath cooling the spinning clutches, less energy is lost to friction and in the churning of the fluid. And, thanks to an electric oil pump and ancillaries, the new gearbox will also work with VW's forthcoming stop-start technology and long-awaited hybrid drivetrains.

A DSG-7 gearbox - a Ł1,400 option - fitted to the equally efficient new 1.4 TSI engine returns 22% better fuel consumption compared to the old 1.6 FSI with a conventional auto, but also boasts far superior performance and emissions.

Seat, Skoda and Audi will all eventually receive DSG-7 in the near future, with the gearbox being adapted for Audi's longitudinal engine arrangement.

Volkswagen’s long-rumored mid-engine roadster was expect to make its world debut at this month’s Los Angeles Auto Show, but a VW spokesman has revealed that the sports car won’t make an appearance until January’s Detroit Auto Show.

VW says the delay is due to a higher amount of interest – and there for publicity – at the Detroit show, but it also probably has something to do with the economy’s dive bomb.

But the delay isn’t the roadster’s biggest news. According to Automotive News, the new VW model will ride on an upgraded version of the Audi’s R8 architecture. This goes against previous speculation that the VW roadster would be an entry-level model. No word on what engine will power the two-seater, but a four-cylinder is still on the table.

Unlike VW’s previous sports car concepts, the Detroit-bound show car is expected to make the transition to production, with an on sale date set for sometime in 2011.

Maximum driving fun with minimal fuel consumption: This is the standard by which Volkswagen is starting the new car year 2009 and is presenting the roadster Concept BlueSport at the North American International Auto Show. "The BlueSport proves to be a compact and passionate car with a clear Volkswagen signature. The car offers pure dynamics with a powerful 180 PS Clean Diesel engine that is combined with the characteristic Volkswagen philosophy of efficiency," confirmed Volkswagen's Chairman of the Board, Prof. Martin Winterkorn in Detroit.

The Concept BlueSport is making its appearance at the car show in Detroit with a Flex Silver exterior and orange fabric convertible top. "It is the symbiosis of outstanding technology and timeless Volkswagen design that makes this car an exceptional sports car. Its styling is clear and is reduced to the essentials; the car body itself has a lean and linear structure", explains Volkswagen chief designer Walter de Silva. The interior shows finesse in details and conveys a high level of technological fascination. Immediately visible to the eye is the intuitive and easy to operate touchscreen. Perfectly adapted to the interior are the leather upholstered seats in lightweight construction with their single-piece seatbacks.

Behind the two sport seats of the 3.99 meter long Concept BlueSport, a 132 kW / 180 PS strong Clean Diesel (TDI) with common rail injection and downstream NOx storage catalytic converter delivers dynamic performance. A 6-speed DSG dual clutch transmission - the most economical and agile transmission system in the world - transfers power to the rear wheels. In just 6.6 seconds the sports car is moving at 100 km/h; its top speed is 226 km/h. Also having a positive impact on the car's low fuel consumption of just 4.3 l/100 km and reduced emissions are two technologies that are part of the so-called Eco mode: an automatic start-stop system and energy regeneration. Together they propel the Concept BlueSport to an additional fuel savings of up to 0.2 liter per 100 kilometers in city driving.