Autoblog

Well, all the Camaro buildup is finally set to amount to something this Monday, when the real, final car is unveiled. Frankly, it was getting anti-climactic before the official photos leaked onto the web on Friday afternoon, but we'll look forward to hopefully seeing the SS car in the metal. That one's been conspicuously absent from all the photos that crammed the internet as soon as the dam burst. Anyway, whether you go for an RS with that punchy DI V6, or the SS with its LS3 power, chances are you'll be a happy camper.

So, to celebrate, we've gone and collected all the Camaro television commercials (and one 1980s promo video) we could find and packed them up into our handy new video player. When you're done watching one, pick another from the scrolling list under the main window and enjoy. We don't know how Chevy's gonna market the new car, but we're hoping for something more in line with the cool and dramatic 'Volcano" spot for the first-gen. It's a nostalgia overload, from the '70 "Super Hugger" spots to the cringe-fest 80s-era ads, right up to the 90s cars that spelled the end of the line. Until now.

Now, please excuse us while we hit the weekend classified pages. We've got a sudden craving for some IROC-Z garage candy. After all, this mid-summer weather is just perfect for T-Tops.

Those clever Hawkeyes don't need Xibit to pimp a ride, so here to represent Iowa pimps we have this 1988 Camaro IROC-Z, apparently inspired by a Sprite commercial. The great thing about any pimped piece of auto is that it sells itself -- all you need to do is see the car on the street and you know, as Paul Harvey said, the rest of the story. The "fresh 305, fresh tranny w/shift kit," TV, subs, lambo doors, is par for the track course. What really interests us about this car is the price: $9,900 or "comparable trade." We're fine with the cash -- what we really want to see is what kind of car qualifies as "comparable trade"? Thanks for the tip, Aaron!

[Source: craigslist]

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]

No matter how nice we ask, beg or cajole, our pleas for a skid pad have fallen on deaf ears. We're not asking much. All we want is a safe place to hoon it up to our hearts content.

Instead, we're forced to live out our four-wheel drift fantasies by watching repeats of Top Gear and now this, a video of Volkswagen's IROC concept pirouetting around a damp slice of tarmac in what we can only assume is B-roll footage for a photo shoot.

The video is after the jump and in the meantime, we'll try to figure out what the right ratio of cookies and milk Santa requires to make our dreams a reality.

[Source: YouTube via MotorAuthority]

Click the image above for a gallery of the VW IROC concept.

According to Automotive News, Volkswagen of America doesn't want the new Scirocco when it's released in the next few years. The reason? Another two-door, Golf-based hatch would cannibalize sales of the GTI, and with American's apparent distaste for hatches, sales would be underwhelming.

Adrian Hallmark, executive veep at VW of America maintains that, "having six different coupes and hatchbacks would be crazy," which seems like sound logic. At the same time however, an argument for VW to have a more low-slung coupe in their lineup, regardless of how you pop the trunk, may be to the automaker's benefit. Even more so if the Scirocco was outfitted with higher-end appointments –- distancing itself from the GTI, but still coming in a few notches below some of Audi's entry-level offerings.

Still, no word on what will motivate the new Scirocco when it comes to market, although judging by the IROC concept from which it will be based, we'd expect a six- or seven-speed DSG mated to some application of V-Dub's TSI twincharger setup.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Click for more speculative renderings of the next Golf/Rabbit

The next-generation Golf/Rabbit will take many of its key design themes from the forthcoming Scirocco, according to enthusiast website InfoMotori. The Scirocco, as you know by now, is the name the production version of the IROC concept car introduced last year will wear when it heads to showrooms. To illustrate what this could translate into visually, they contracted designer Andrea Rosati to create renderings of a Golf sporting the IROCized design language. InfoMotori was kind enough to permit us to reproduce the images here for you.

Obviously, there's nothing final about any of this. Whether or not you like the possible new look will have a lot to do with how much you like the IROC. We still think that new face makes the car look like some sort of Pokemon critter. But that's just us.

Tell us what you think. For visual help, we've attached a gallery of the IROC as well.

[Source: InfoMotori]

For only the seventh time in the series' 30-year history, the International Race of Champions series will not run as a part of SpeedWeek at Daytona this year.

Since the end of the sponsorship money pouring in from primary sponsor, Crown Royal, series president Jay Signore has been working feverishly to get a series sponsor signed in time to run the first race at Daytona for 2007, but that won't happen. They're hoping to have a sponsor signed soon enough to run a full 4-race series this year, beginning in Texas the weekend of April 13-15.

The IROC Series is a unique format that takes 12 drivers from different motorsports disciplines and provides them with equally-prepared cars to race on different tracks around the country for a $1 million dollar payout to the winner.

[Source: USA Today]

Another Camaro entry was submitted to the Autoblog Flickr pool, and while certainly not as significant as the first two Camaros we featured this week, Flickr member Lex9000's 1986 Chevy Camaro IROC Z has an interesting story nonetheless. Lex had always wanted a third-gen Camaro in black and he finally found one in good condition back in January of 2001. He got to enjoy the car for one Utah summer until financial trouble forced him to sell it the following October. In October of 2005, Lex was cruising the car lots when he happened upon a similar looking third-gen Camaro. You can guess what happened next. Turns out the Camaro on the lot was the same one Lex was forced to give up exactly four years and one day earlier.

We're not going to pretend that 1986 was as good a year for the Camaro as 1967, because it assuredly wasn't. The pony cars were still recovering from being neudered after a couple of oil shortages, and this particular car was distributing what power it did make through a four-speed automatic. Still, Lex apparently has fun with it and has installed a set of Z06 wheels that look positively strange on a Camaro, seats from a 1995 Camaro Z/28 and tinted the glass. In his own words he says, "Four years and a day after I sold her, I had my baby back. I'll never sell her again."

It's the age old tale of boy meets car, boy sells car, boy and car reunite and live happily ever after. How many of you have ever come across vehicles you've parted with out on the street again? It's an awkward situation that happened to me before, and while I didn't offer to buy the car back, I did wonder if the new owner was taking care of it as well as I had.

We're still willing to continue our Camaro theme this week if more submissions come pouring in, but if not we have no problem dipping deeper into the pool to find something special for you. Follow the jump to find out how to submit your vehicle for our RR of the Day feature.

Click for Photo Gallery

In perhaps the least surprising move in recent automotive histroy, Volkwagen has essentially confirmed that the production version of the IROC concept will revive the Scirocco nameplate. We'd have never guessed, what with "Scirocco" already clearly emblazoned across the concept's grille. Anyway, Auto Express reports that at the Paris motor show, a Veedub spokeswoman said, "It now seems that we will be using the Scirocco name."

It now seems? Lady, did you see the concept car before Paris? I mean, come on. Anyway, mark your calendars: the warm desert wind blows back into showrooms in 2008.

[Source: Auto Express via German Car Blog]

This is what happens when you turn me loose on an auto show with an expensive video camera. It's our first try at this whole video thing so be nice. We learned a lot and plan to put together about four more booth tours from the Paris show for you, so hopefully they'll each improve as we go along. This one features highlights from the Volkswagen, Audi and Lamborghini displays including all the usual suspects: VW IROC Concept, Audi R8, Lamborgini Gallardo Nera, etc. Sit back with some popcorn and enjoy the show, this one's a little long (future ones won't be quite as epic).