There is no question who the undisputed star of the Qatar Motor Show has been – the super-efficient Volkswagen XL1 Concept Car stole the show without having to put in any effort at all!

The XL1 from the front...

Except, of course, they have put a lot of effort into this car. It has been designed with the ultimate in efficiency in mind, with a hybrid engine and superbly aerodynamic shape. It doesn’t even have a back windscreen, just rear facing video cameras, and the back wheels are covered so as to prevent any negative effect upon the speed and efficiencies achieved. Building on the 2009 L1 Concept it takes the idea of a car that can cost barely anything to run to a whole new level, and I would imagine that VW are hoping to make a vaguely similar production car within the next few years.

XL1 from above...

This lightweight car looks remarkable – it ought to, as a concept car. However, this packagine is actually one of the main factors in allowing the XL1 to return 313 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 24 g/km of CO2 – seriously impressive figures! It even has a reasonable acceleration, presumably due to the really light body.

For all the stats, read the official Volkswagen press release.