FIFTH TIME'S A CHARM? VOLKSWAGEN CONSIDERS A COUPE AND ROADSTER TANDEM-AGAIN.

Byline: GREG KABLE

Volkswagen has resurrected plans for an affordable, mid-engine coupe and roadster tandem as part of an image-building campaign aimed at highlighting the company's design and engineering prowess.

VW chairman Martin Winterkorn is planning to unveil a concept version of the lightweight two-seater at the Los Angeles show in November. If public opinion is positive, the new car could be in showrooms by 2011. It's been styled under Walter de' Silva and borrows from VW's vast parts bin to keep development costs low.

"We are working on a mid-engined concept for the Los Angeles motor show,'' a source revealed to AutoWeek at VW's Wolfsburg headquarters. "It is the fifth time in as many years that we have created such a car, but this time, more than any other, the signs are looking good that we will get a production green light.''

The new roadster is described as a cut-rate Lotus Elise, designed to be stylish and lightweight while offering genuine sporty performance in combination with class-leading fuel economy. Among the four-cylinders said to be under consideration for the new car is a 170-hp, 1.4-liter Twincharger TSI gasoline engine and a new 125-hp, 1.6-liter TDI common-rail diesel powerplant, both transferring drive through a seven-speed, double-shift gearbox.

This hints at a sub-2,200-pound car serving up Golf GTI levels of acceleration0 to 62 mph in 6.9 secondsand the sort of economy offered by the Polo 1.4 TDI BlueMotion.

Unlike its hot ...