| Volkswagen GX3 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volkswagen/Lotus |
| Production | 2006 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car (S) |
| Body style | 3-wheel, 2-seatroadster |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.6 LDOHCI4 |
| Transmission | 6-speedmanual |
TheVolkswagen GX3 was aconcept car created byproject Moonraker, which was initiated by Stefan Liske, former director of group product strategy atVolkswagen. The GX3 was first shown at the 2006Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. It was considered an unusual concept, since it was three-wheeled and sometimes considered more of amotorcycle rather than acar, but it did feature good performance for a projected cost of only aboutUS$17,000.
The GX3 used a transverse-mounted 1.6 LI4 engine from theVW Lupo GTI. This engine gave the GX3 an output of 125 PS (92 kW) and 152 N·m (112 ft·lbf) of torque. The GX3 could go from 0–100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and had a top speed of 200 km/h (125 mph). It used a six-speedmanual transmission.
The design of the GX3 was typical, with a frontdouble wishbone suspension, tubular steelspace frame and laminated body panels. The concept was of a rare type, with two seats and three wheels. The GX3 lacked a roof or windshield, and was intended mainly for fair weather environments, as a "weekend car". The design of the interior was minimalist and functional.
There was considerable speculation as to possible production of the GX3; Volkswagen fueled this with the announcement that production would depend on the public reaction to the concept.
However, in spite of the positive public response, and intensive chassis development byLotus Cars for production, Volkswagen later concluded that it would not be able to sell the GX3 without costly, and complex redesigns that would alienate Volkswagen's target market and increase price above the proposedUS$17,000 base price.
The company cited possible safety issues that could have led toproduct liability lawsuits, and decided that the legal concerns as is impossible to made it into production.
