The light fantastic

The idea was just that it would be a bit of fun. I’d back myself to spin an interesting tale about it because it was an interesting car and, well, that’s the job. Besides, I’d only ever driven one once before, a decade ago on a short route in heavy traffic with an engineer next to me telling me what to do.

So I booked the XL1.

I thought there would be a few formalities to be gone through, because this is an exceptionally rare – just 200 were built making most limited edition hypercars look common as muck by comparison – and highly specialised form of transport. But no. The car was available, it’d be delivered to Bicester Motion in time to star in our contributor display at our inaugural Concours d’Appréciation and thereafter it was mine to do with as I pleased for the next 10 days. No lectures, no forms to fill saying I’ve boned up to an acceptable standard, no nothing. Just me and half of one per cent of total Volkswagen XL1 production.