Spy Shots: VW Scirocco hits the 'Ring
After subjecting us for years to dull econo hatchbacks and even blander sedans, Volkswagen impressed the automotive world when it took the covers of its Iroc concept. The vehicle featured an aggressive front-end, a powerful brooding stance and fluid surfaces, but at the same time it was instantly recognizable as a VW. Now the production version of that car has been spotted undergoing some high speed testing at Germany's Nurburgring.Dubbed the Scirocco, the new VW coupe is rumored to be unveiled at next year's Geneva Auto Show in March before going on sale by the middle of the year. The car's running gear will be borrowed from the current Eos convertible and, not surprisingly, it will be manufactured alongside the former at VW's Portugal plant.
The range will kick off with a 1.4L TSI unit developing 138 HP in base form and 168 in supercharged versions. This will be followed by a 168 HP 2.0L TDI and a 197 HP 2.0L turbo gasoline engine currently used in the Golf GTI. Down the track, VW is expected to launch a performance R20 version with a lightened chassis and a 230 HP 2.0L turbo motor.
[Source: World Car Fans]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MIKE 1:35PM (9/26/2007)
sorry to be off subject, but my password works for this comment but not to log on to access my profile and change my avatar. what gives?? is there two different passwords we are using?
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AZ 1:46PM (9/26/2007)
No, it's the same.
Torqued 6:35PM (9/26/2007)
I'm having the same problem.
HineyWipe 1:50PM (9/26/2007)
I'm thinking A3...you? (will we ever see a diesel here?)
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Steve 1:52PM (9/26/2007)
How many hatches does one automaker need?
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Mondo 2:00PM (9/26/2007)
Since most other manufacturers have no hatches (in the US) maybe VW/Audi should completely corner the market.
zamafir 2:32PM (9/26/2007)
given so many 'new' directions car companies are taking focus on vehicles which have hatches (that new BMW aberration, the new volvo hatch, et-al) i'd wager the company oft credited with starting the craze could do with a few more, and currently owning an MKV GTI, I can certainly say i'd love to see a new variation on the theme (R32? give me a break)
Tio 2:46PM (9/26/2007)
Europeans like hatchbacks. Some will even say a 3 box sedan looks odd. VW's main market is Europe.
RWD fan 1:56PM (9/26/2007)
MIKE,
I've been having the same problem
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Adam 2:40PM (9/26/2007)
This is not being snide, I promise:
What will this car offer other than different styling and less practicality over the GTI?
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Stephen 2:58PM (9/26/2007)
That might be enough for some people. The styling of my GTI was the car's hardest sale, everything else is great. If I could have chosen this, I might not have been as hesitant.
Thoght the utility of the GTI is certainly a plus.
Tyo 2:59PM (9/26/2007)
Ask that question to owners of the first version....
Any FWd Audi TT!
same concept, GTI with two less seats, better Brand, more money
Matt Nelson 2:16PM (9/26/2007)
I definitely feel a civic vibe when looking at the front angle views. Cool looking hatchback. Too bad the reliability is the pits.
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graviton 2:30PM (9/26/2007)
Well this is a big let down. I could see the point of this car if it was going to be a performance version of the GTI with like 300hp and AWD, but 230hp hardly seems worth it when the GTI has 200hp. Why make this car? It is a more interesting body style than the GTi and if it had a 4 door version I could see why you would replace the GTI with this model, but to have both models on the same lot seems stupid. Give it a kick ass engine, AWD, manual transmission, 4 doors and a LSD or don't bother.
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mooj 3:09PM (9/26/2007)
what's wrong with rear wheel drive? really? how much space is the driveshaft really going to eat up in the back? who's going to sit there anyway?
a small, light, good looking, low, 5/3 door hatch with RWD and 230 hp would be perfect. 230 is such a cozy number, especially coming from a performance 2.0L. I would buy it in an instant.
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1337 4:28PM (9/26/2007)
So what is it that makes the R32 a dull econo hatchback? Is it the 250 hp engine or the razor-sharp handling?
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zamafir 4:29PM (9/26/2007)
what's wrong? two big issues
a) VW has no RWD platform, engineering a brand new platform just to appease a minority of blog commentators in a market which isn't VW's largest makes zero financial sense.
b) RWD isn't the magic pill which makes everything better as blog commentators often think, go look at any review of the 1 series hatch vs the GTI or R32, the RWD configuration in a small hatch requires too many practical compromises and doesn't guarantee a better drive.
Both pretty obvious issues to anyone who follows VAG with any semblance of regularity - glad i could help.... though I doubt it'll stem the generic 'i don't care what platform/car/company we're talking about, it'd be better if it was RWD' sort of comments which plague this board.
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naggs 5:38PM (9/26/2007)
good points
but there is no doubt that rwd is the better place to put the power if the car claims to be sporting.
a fwd sports car is an oxymoron
zamafir 7:52PM (9/26/2007)
Amazing when oxymoronic vehicles achieve unanimous best in class awards including "best sportscar under $25,000". I really wonder how many people who consistently defecate on fwd have ever driven a MKV GTi, or the current Civic Si, or any other vehicle within that class which achieves critical acclaim and also manages to
epilonious 8:56AM (9/27/2007)
why on earth are you comparing the golf-sized thing to a 1-series?
The 1-series is very tiny, wheras the Golf has gotten bigger each year and is only a bit smaller than a 3-series. If you're going to do practicality comparisons between the 1-series and anything... it should be the polo and the mini... which also suffer from "I couldn't fit in this Ikea bookshelf and close the hatch so I don't consider it utilitarian enough" syndrome.
In the meantime, I am pretty sure the 3-series, G-series, and IS are lauded over the FWD golf/GTI and even the AWD R32, and the driving dynamics of RWD contribute greatly to those evaluations. Granted, the 3GIS are lux brands where as the VWs are cheapened Audi's... but still all these "cool looking but same running train as their counterparts" will cast VW into 3000GT territory ("is it the expensive one with AWD? Or the FWD posuermobile?")