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Volkswagen has working out to produce an affordable mid-engine sports car along the lines of the Lotus Elise and Toyota MR2. Volkswagen plan to release the car early next decade.

The car is expected to be designed for both coupe and roadster bodystyles, and if it goes to production, it could be outsourced to an independent vehicle manufacturer such as Karmann.

The new concept is moving forward, however, and is being developed under the supervision of VW design chief Walter de' Silva. It will be used to gauge public opinion in preparation for development of the final production version. VW has a tradition of rolling out extravagant roadster concept vehicles and then packing them away, never to be seen again, however an inside source has revealed to AutoWeek that this time ‘round the concept will be given the green light.

The car will be fitted with n aluminum-spaceframe chassis, a mid-engine and RWD layout, and a range of high-output 2.0L forced-induction engines.