NILS EV, which is made from aluminum and has gull-wing doors (think Back to the Future), measures a slight 119.7 inches long, about 47.2 inches tall, and 15.4 inches wide. The car has a total curb weight of only 1,014 lbs. Its electric motor produces only 20 bhp and a short-term peak output of 34 bhp.

It may be skinny and light weight, but this all adds up to a good starting speed, especially for an EV. NILS has an electronically limited top speed of 80 mph, which it can reach in under 11 seconds. It travels a total of 40 miles on a single charge from its 5.3 kWh battery-pack. This battery takes only 2 hours (max) to reach full.

Source: WCF

Powering up! will be a variety of three-cylinder, 1.0 liter gas engines with BlueMotion tech (which includes stop/start technology) producing 60 bhp and 75 bhp, respectively.

There will also be a natural-gas unit in Europe, offering 68 bhp. The Up/up! comes with an optional City Emergency Braking unit. This “smart system” works at speeds under 18 mph, which can detect impending collisions and apply the vehicles’ brakes automatically.

Up! will be offered in three trim levels – trend, comfort and high. We’ll release more details on each in the coming weeks.

Next week, Volkswagen will introduce their live VW Desert Racer to the Los Angeles Auto Show. Until then, you’ll have to settle for the official Touareg TDI Trophy Truck Press Release and sketching from Volkswagen.

VOLKSWAGEN TO UNVEIL PURPOSE BUILT RACE TOUAREG TDI TROPHY TRUCK AT L.A. AUTO SHOW – First turbo-diesel Trophy Truck in historic SCORE series

Volkswagen of America, Inc. will unveil its purpose-built Volkswagen-Red Bull Baja Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck, powered by a clean diesel TDI engine, during a news conference at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The news conference is scheduled for 10:45 to 11:10 a.m., Wednesday, November 19, 2008, at the Volkswagen stand.

The Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck that will run the 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race in the SCORE Trophy Truck class is powered by a 5.5 liter V-12 clean diesel engine that produces 550 horsepower and 625 lbs.-ft. of torque.

Staying true to the off-road prowess that the Touareg is best known for, the purpose-built Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck takes the Touareg’s off-road tenaciousness to a whole new level. With a double A-Arm front suspension that allows 25 inches of wheel travel, and a 4-link rear suspension that allows 30 inches of wheel travel, combined with Fox Racing Shocks, Eibach Coils and BFGoodrich Baja KRT 37×13.5×17 off-road tires the Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck should have little difficulty maneuvering the highly difficult and technical 634 mile Baja 1000 course.

Chassis design and production was handled by Arciero Miller Racing located in Foothill Ranch, California. The Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck features a wheelbase of 125 inches, overall length of 213 inches, width of 92 inches, an overall height of 78 inches and weighs 5650 pounds. The Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck Body was designed by the Volkswagen Design Center located in Santa Monica, California. The Volkswagen-Red Bull Baja Race Touareg TDI is sponsored by Volkswagen of America, Inc., Red Bull, BFGoodrich Tires, Dow Automotive, Oakley, KMC Wheels and Fox Shocks.

VW’s Bio Runner is designed for a one-tank, 10-gallons of fuel stipulation. Controls attached to the hands and feet of the driver are suspended in the vehicle’s protective cage body, control muscle-like suspension for optimized control. What’s the most bizarre item found in the Bio Runner? A video-feed ready miniature helicopter, which can launch and aid the driver during harsh weather conditions. Built for only a single operator, Bio Runner has enhances traction control, making it a (soon to be) destructive force when it comes to racing on the dunes of South Africa or Southern California.

What else will the future hold for Volkswagen? From the looks of things a possible Red Bull sponsorship.