Autoblog

So, the Essen Motor Show is coming up. For those of you unaware, it's basically a Euro SEMA. All the tuners will be there, showing off stuff that's both decent and dreadful, proving that yes, Europeans can do bad taste as well as anyone this side of the Atlantic. ABT is entirely capable of serving up either dish, but in the case of their Scirocco, they manage to stay on the better side of decent. You know the drill: body kit, wheels, suspension, brakes. They have power upgrades, too -- bumping the wee 1.4 TSI to 200 horses, and the 2.0 TSI to 240. Unfortunately, a look 'round back indicates that this whole stacked-tailpipes thing recently adopted by Lexus and Ferrari is on its way to becoming a fad. We love this shade of green, which looks to be the same as that used on the original VW IROC concept, but ABT's car wins because it doesn't have a face that looks like it was inspired by something on a Pokemon card. Still interested in reading more? The PR's pasted after the jump.


[Source: ABT Sportsline]

It's just a matter of time before Volkswagen begins offering a hotter, harder version of the new Scirocco, and according to CAR, the range-topping three-door will be packing the same 265-hp, 2.0-liter turbo as the Audi S3. The VW Scirocco R20T will be heavily influenced by the Scirocco GT24 racer that campaigned at the Nurburgring earlier this year, but without the vented hood, massive rear wing and aggressive front splitter. The sprint to 60 should be easily dispatched in under six seconds and a top speed of 155 mph is almost assured. Grippier seats and a stiffer ride that makes use of V-Dub's active suspension system are likely part of the package, and sales are expected to begin abroad in January for around £25,000. An R32 variant packing the VR6 is likely off the drawing board due to emissions and fuel economy, and if VW is actually considering bringing the Scirocco to the U.S., the R20T would be the perfect variant to distance itself from the equally competent GTI.



[Source: CAR]

Volkswagen has heard our cries and is reconsidering its previous decision not to offer the Scirocco in the States.

Back when the low-slung hatch was launched in March, VW was insistent that the Scirocco would never find its way to U.S. shores, fearing that it would cannibalize sales of the GTI and that the strong euro would make it far too expensive.

Automotive News spoke with V-Dub spokesperson, Steve Keyes, who said the outcry from enthusiasts and the apparent popularity of the Scirocco in Europe has VW execs rethinking their initial decision. According to Keyes, "There's no real decision yet," and that if the Scirocco would be made available in the U.S., it would be positioned "a little bit differently." Two words: do it.


[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Volkswagen has made getting behind the wheel of a Scirocco just a little bit easier... in the UK. When the low-slung three-door was launched it was only available in up-level GT trim, but now it's available in base form, starting at £18,790. For what it's worth (not much, sadly), that converts to $32,600 at current rates, but the Scirocco still isn't offered in the States anyway. The new standard engine is VW's 1.4-liter TSI engine rated at 160-horsepower and nearly 43 miles per gallons in the combined EU cycle. The Base trim still includes a six-disc CD changer, air conditioning and exclusive 17-inch alloys.

A second engine is now offered in both Base and GT trims, and it's a diesel. Displacing 2.0-liters and offering 140-horsepower, the common rail oil-burner gets over 55 European miles per gallon, with a choice of either a six-speed manual or DSG gearbox.


[Source: Volkswagen]

With the Volkswagen Scirocco now out in the public domain, Volkswagen appears to be on a campaign to keep our attention piquied with this teaser shot that has been floating around cyberspace. The image shows a darkened glimpse at the front end of a potentially beefier Scirocco, with the R in the reflection colored the bold blue that has become the trademark color of Volkswagen's performance badge.

If the R-type Scirocco got the same 247-hp 3.2-liter VR6 and 4Motion all-wheel-dive from its Golf/Rabbit R32 stable-mate, and some of the styling cues from the Scirocco GT24, we could have quite the stormer on our hands.

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

I admit it, I watch America's Next Top Model. It's not as good as Project Runway or So You Think You Can Dance, but seems to go through three seasons every year so there's always a new episode to watch. As with any reality show, ANTM is also produced in a number of foreign countries, including Germany, which has a good record of producing runway gals. One of its most successful, Heidi Klum, is the host of Germany's Next Top Model and she's also a spokeswoman for Volkswagen in one of the automaker's recent commercials. Thus, it's not surprising to learn that VW awarded the most recent season's winner in Germany, Jennifer Hof (no relation to The Hof) one of the first production Sciroccos made, while 2nd and 3rd place winners got CrossPolos. In return, Volkswagen got a few of the models to appear in a calendar shoot beside their new sport hatch. Being the stuck up star it is, the Scirocco didn't actually show up for the shoot, and the models instead posed with cardboard cutouts of the car. With an attitude like that, the Scirocco will never reach its goal of becoming Germany's Next Top Model. Check out all twelve months in our gallery below.


[Source: World Car Fans]

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Scirocco GT24

If you've ever lingered behind after a professional sports event, you've probably seen some of the athletes graciously staying behind to shake hands and sign autographs while others make a B-line through the fans to the locker room. If the Volkswagen group were an athlete, it would be the former. Every year the German automaker comes to Wörthersee to meet its most die-hard enthusiasts, and never comes empty-handed. You'll recall that last year Volkswagen unveiled the shockingly exotic Golf GTI W12 650 while Audi showed up with the TT clubsport quattro. This year, not only is Audi bringing both the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept and the pre-production TT clubsport quattro roadster, but Volkswagen has rolled in to town with the Scirocco GT24, the competition version of its new sport-hatch that the German automaker will be campaigning at this weekend's 2008 Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race.

As we've reported previously, power comes from the same 2-liter turbo four that drove the race-prepped GTI to victory at the Ring last year. 321 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque are channeled to the front wheels (not all four) via Volkswagen's trademark six-speed DSG, only with beefed-up clutch plates, revised gearing and a lightweight flywheel. Dimensions for the racing version have grown slightly, with an extra 227mm in length for aero stability and 61mm in width to cover the 18-inch racing rims on a wide track, dropping ride height by 75mm. The interior is stripped and race-prepped with a full roll cage, Recaro seats with five-point harnesses, competition steering wheel, electronic instrumentation and fire extinguisher, all in all stripping 178kg from the interior.

While the Scirocco GT24 wows the crowds at Wörthersee and takes on all comers at the Nurburgring, Volkswagen has given us a mouthwatering, knee-buckling preview of what a road-going Scirocco R version could look like. Check out the images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Scirocco racer.

Volkswagen is taunting us again with another shot of its 'Ring-bound Scirocco, and this time, we get to see the race-ready hatch in profile. VW has been testing the Scirocco in the run up to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race that's set to begin on May 24, and according to VW Motorsport Director, Kris Nissen, the Scirocco is living up to expectations. With 300 hp provided by its 2.0-liter TFSI engine, Nissen says that, "the new Scirocco was in its element from its very first lap around the Nordschleife." It's a grueling test and we're looking forward to how the Scirocco fairs later this month.


[Source: VW via Carscoop]

With Volkswagen due to make a decision about the location of its first US factory in more than two decades, the next obvious question is what to build there? We had a chance to pose that very question to Steve Keyes, GM of Public Relations for VW of America. According to Steve, the driving force for the factory is two-fold. First and most obvious is the exchange rate issue. With dollar being worth less almost daily against the Euro, it's increasingly difficult for VW to price cars competitively, especially in the mainstream segments where it primarily competes. The second reason is capacity constraints at the Peubla, Mexico factory that builds VW's highest volume US product, the Jetta. VW of America has set a target tripling combined sales of Audi and VW within the next decade.

Meeting those sales goals will require a lot more vehicles to sell at a competitive cost. So the first products out of the plant will likely be the highest volume products, the Passat and Jetta. If the plant is set up to build Jettas, then it could relatively easily be adapted to build any other model that shares the Golf/Jetta platform. That could potentially mean products like the Scirocco and even the Audi TT. Will we see these? Probably not at first, but if demand warrants, it could happen. So if you are all really serious about wanting the Scirocco on US shores, you should start pestering the head office (which just moved to Virginia last week).

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Volkswagen Scirocco.

Volkswagen will use the 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring in Germany to showcase the new Scirocco's sporting credentials when the event gets underway the weekend of May 24 and 25. The race-prepped version of the low-slung, Golf-based coupe will be spitting out 300 hp from its tuned 2.0-liter TFSI engine. Volkswagen didn't reveal a lot of details about the Scirocco racer in its press release (after the jump), but you can be assured that serious suspension and brake tweaks will be accompanied by all the prerequisite safety equipment to make the Scirocco competitive in the 2.0-liter turbo class. And VW isn't skimping on drivers, either. The Scirocco will be piloted by two-time WRC champ Carlos Sainz and two-time Le Mans winner and 'Ring legend, Hans-Joachim Stuck.


[Source: VW via WCF]