The Boxster has got...

The Boxster has got a fight on its hands! Ahead of its debut in Detroit this week, these are the first official images of VWò€™s baby sports car designed to offer a cut-price alternative to Porscheò€™s finest - and a more upmarket option to the MX-5.

Called the Concept BlueSport, itò€™s the car that proves sportiness can go hand-in-hand with economy - combining the agility and pace of a mid-engined roadster, with the fuel-consumption and affordability of a more family-orientated model.

Performance fans wonò€™t be left wanting with a 0-60mph time of 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 140mph, while running costs should be uncharacteristically low thanks to a combined fuel economy of 42mpg and supermini CO2 emissions of just 113g/km.

At the heart of the BlueSport are two efficiency-boosting technologies, an automatic stop-start function, similar to the system appearing across the BlueMotion range later this year and regenerative braking, like the KERS technology set to be employed by 2009 F1 cars.

Following in the footsteps of the Audi TT TDI, the worldò€™s first diesel sports car, the BlueSport uses an oil-burner under the bonnet. Itò€™s the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged unit, producing 178bhp and 350Nm of torque mated to the six-speed version of VWò€™s slick-shifting DSG ò€˜box. And with all that torque being channelled through the rear wheels, genuine sports car thrills are guaranteed.

Tipping the scales at a slimline 1,200kg, the BlueSport has been subject to a number of weight-saving measures. Most significant is the manually operated fabric roof, doing away with the need for heavy motors and hydraulics.

Compact dimensions mean itò€™s shorter, lower but almost as wide as a MKVI Golf, creating a squat, muscular stance, and aiding stability in the bends. Despite short overhangs and a rear-mounted engine dictated by its all-new platform, VW insists the two storage areas, one at the front and one in the back, are roomy enough for a pair of weekend bags.

If the face seems familiar, thatò€™s because it continues the design language first implemented on the new Scirocco, MKVI Golf and UP! concept. The sleek headlights, narrow radiator grille and prominent badge are unmistakably VW.

At the rear, the LED taillights are sculpted to mimic the headlights, giving the car a front-rear symmetry much like the Boxster. A third brake light is integrated into the boot lid, just above the badge, while the blacked-out diffuser with the twin tailpipes located at itò€™s outer-edges help to emphasise the carò€™s width.

But itò€™s in profile that the car really makes its presence felt. Cavernous side vents give away the carò€™s mid-engine layout, while exaggerated wheel-arches filled with ten-spoke 19-inch alloys, bulge out of the bodywork.

Inside the high-quality cabin an enormous touchscreen interface takes pride of place. Thereò€™s also lightweight sports seats clad in VWò€™s trademark ribbed leather, with integrated roll-hoops behind the headrests and heating controls that glow blue or red depending on the desired temperature.

VW hasnò€™t confirmed the roadster will make into production yet, but judging by the production-ready appearance, as well as the growing interest in small fuel-efficient sports cars, and itò€™s not a question of if, but when its available to buy. Expect both TSI and TDI versions to be offered when it makes it to showrooms in 2010, with prices starting from around Ò£22,500.

Read an exclusive interview with head of exterior design for the BlueSport project, Peter Wouda, here.

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