Volkswagen Scirocco
Encyclopedia
The Scirocco is a 3-door Coupe
manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen
, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.
wind — and the period in its history when Volkswagen named vehicles after prominent winds, including also Passat (after the German word for Trade wind
), Golf (after Gulf Stream
), Bora (after Bora
), Polo (after Polar Winds), and Jetta (after Jet stream
).
and Jetta
was used to underpin the new Scirocco, although almost every part of the car was re-engineered in favour of a sportier drive, and the model's all-new styling, penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro
, was sleeker and sportier than that of either the Golf or Jetta. Launched six months before the Golf, in order to resolve any teething troubles before production of the high volume hatchback started, the Scirocco went on sale in Europe in 1974 and in North America in 1975. Mark I models featured a range of four-cylinder engines with displacements from 1.1 to 1.6 L (1.7 L in North America (1975 1.5L (1471), 1976-77 1.6L, 1978 1.5L (1457), 1979-1981 1.6 (1588cc), 1981 1.7 (1715cc) USA models), all featuring a single-overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder. 1975-1978 model year USA vehicles had 4-speed manual transmissions; for the 1979 model year, USA vehicles had 5-speed manual transmissions. Understandably, automatic transmission-equipped Sciroccos were rare.
The car changed little before being replaced by the Mark 2 version in 1982 (Europe). However, air conditioning became available as an option on the domestic market in August 1975. The possibility to retrofit the installation, together with a larger battery, was offered to existing owners.
During the production of the Mark I, there were subtle changes to the body and trim. In 1977 (1976 was first year), the conventional two wiper system changes to a single wiper which parks on the passenger side of the windscreen. In 1978, the separate front side marker and turn signal, changed to a combination wrap-around orange lens. Other mid-life changes include chrome bumpers with rubberised end caps to a plastic one-piece wrap around bumper. In 1979, the one-pieces "flag" style outside mirrors transitioned to a two-piece shrouded mirror. There were also special variants throughout the Mark I production. Most distinguishable by paint schemes and trim, there were special versions called "Sidewinder", "Sidewinder II", "Champagne Edition", "Champagne Edition II" and the "S". The Champagne Edition II only came in white with black accents. On the NA models the 1980 "S" versions came in only three colours, Alpine White, Black and Mars Red with unique colour accents. This was followed by the 1981 "S" versions which only came in Cosmos Silver Metallic, Cirrus Gray Metallic and Mars Red without the colour accents.
Manually-retractable sliding steel sunroofs were an available option on the "S" versions, and possibly non-"S" vehicles, too.
Like the first generation Scirocco, the car was assembled on behalf of Volkswagen by Karmann
of Osnabrück
.
Scirocco sales continued until 1988 in the United States, 1989 in Canada, and 1992 in Germany.
The Scirocco was effectively replaced by the Corrado
in the VW line-up, although this had been on sale since 1989 and aimed further upmarket.
officially announced in June 2006 production of a new Scirocco model at the AutoEuropa
assembly plant in Palmela
, Portugal.
The new model, identified by the internal type numbers 137 or 1K8, is based on the PQ35 platform of the Golf V
and was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It went on sale in summer 2008 in Europe, with sales in other countries beginning early 2009. The German model had a price of €21,750.
The 2008 model of the Scirocco received a 5 star safety rating from EuroNCAP even after the driver test dummy hit its head off the steering wheel because of the airbag "bottoming out".
The model tested was a left-hand-drive 3-door hatchback and scored in 4 areas:
previewing the then upcoming Scirocco III was unveiled at the 2006 Paris Auto Show
. Named IROC, from the middle four letters of "Scirocco", it used a 200-hp TSI engine.
The Scirocco GT24 is a race car for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring
. It has a 2.0L TSI engine rated 325 PS and 340 newton metre @2100rpm, DSG transmission.
The GT24 was unveiled at GTI Meet 2008 in Wörthersee
.
The Studie R was unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show.
UK models went on sale in 2009.
Technology package. This car features a 68Ah battery and reduced emissions because of special tyres and other gearbox specifications
America vice president Adrian Hallmark claimed that Volkswagen preferred not to bring the Scirocco to North America since it could negatively affect GTI
sales. It was later stated that the final decision would be made in 2008 by Martin Winterkorn
(Volkswagen's CEO), not Volkswagen of America.
In early March 2008 MotorAuthority reported that, due to the increasing gap between the American Dollar and the Euro, the Scirocco would not be made available for American Consumers.
"This car would fit the U.S. market but at the current exchange rate we wouldn't make any money." Volkswagen
sales and marketing chief Detlef Wittig told Bloomberg reporters.
in May 2008, three new Volkswagen Scirocco did very well in the field of over 200, among them many high powered cars, finishing 11th and 15th, with veteran Hans Joachim Stuck
driving both cars (and Carlos Sainz
the slower one). The direct competitors, two Opel Astra
GTC driven by drivers selected from 18,000 hopefuls in a year-long TV covered process, were beaten decisively. In the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship
, Fredrik Ekblom
drives a Scirocco for the Biogas team. The car is run on biogas and not petrol.
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.
Etymology
The Scirocco name derives from the Italian word for the SiroccoSirocco
Sirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe. It is known in North Africa by the Arabic word qibli or ghibli Sirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind...
wind — and the period in its history when Volkswagen named vehicles after prominent winds, including also Passat (after the German word for Trade wind
Trade wind
The trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator...
), Golf (after Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
), Bora (after Bora
Bora (wind)
Bora or Bura is a northern to north-eastern katabatic wind in the Adriatic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, and Turkey....
), Polo (after Polar Winds), and Jetta (after Jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
).
Scirocco I (1974–1982)
Volkswagen began work on the car during the early 1970s as the replacement for the aging Karmann Ghia coupe, and designated it the Typ 53 internally. The platform of the Golf/RabbitVolkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
and Jetta
Volkswagen Jetta
Although the Golf had reached considerable success, in the North American markets, Volkswagen observed that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration...
was used to underpin the new Scirocco, although almost every part of the car was re-engineered in favour of a sportier drive, and the model's all-new styling, penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
, was sleeker and sportier than that of either the Golf or Jetta. Launched six months before the Golf, in order to resolve any teething troubles before production of the high volume hatchback started, the Scirocco went on sale in Europe in 1974 and in North America in 1975. Mark I models featured a range of four-cylinder engines with displacements from 1.1 to 1.6 L (1.7 L in North America (1975 1.5L (1471), 1976-77 1.6L, 1978 1.5L (1457), 1979-1981 1.6 (1588cc), 1981 1.7 (1715cc) USA models), all featuring a single-overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder. 1975-1978 model year USA vehicles had 4-speed manual transmissions; for the 1979 model year, USA vehicles had 5-speed manual transmissions. Understandably, automatic transmission-equipped Sciroccos were rare.
The car changed little before being replaced by the Mark 2 version in 1982 (Europe). However, air conditioning became available as an option on the domestic market in August 1975. The possibility to retrofit the installation, together with a larger battery, was offered to existing owners.
During the production of the Mark I, there were subtle changes to the body and trim. In 1977 (1976 was first year), the conventional two wiper system changes to a single wiper which parks on the passenger side of the windscreen. In 1978, the separate front side marker and turn signal, changed to a combination wrap-around orange lens. Other mid-life changes include chrome bumpers with rubberised end caps to a plastic one-piece wrap around bumper. In 1979, the one-pieces "flag" style outside mirrors transitioned to a two-piece shrouded mirror. There were also special variants throughout the Mark I production. Most distinguishable by paint schemes and trim, there were special versions called "Sidewinder", "Sidewinder II", "Champagne Edition", "Champagne Edition II" and the "S". The Champagne Edition II only came in white with black accents. On the NA models the 1980 "S" versions came in only three colours, Alpine White, Black and Mars Red with unique colour accents. This was followed by the 1981 "S" versions which only came in Cosmos Silver Metallic, Cirrus Gray Metallic and Mars Red without the colour accents.
Manually-retractable sliding steel sunroofs were an available option on the "S" versions, and possibly non-"S" vehicles, too.
Scirocco II (1982–1992)
A heavily re-designed "Mark 2" variant (internally designated Typ 53B) went on sale in 1982, although it remained on the A1 platform. One unique feature of the Mark 2 was the location of the rear spoiler midway up the glass on the rear hatch. A mid-cycle update occurred in 1984, which included minor changes over the 1982 model: removal of the outlined "SCIROCCO" script from the rear hatch (below the spoiler), a redesigned air conditioning compressor, and a different brake master cylinder with in-line proportioning valves and a brake light switch mounted to the pedal instead of on the master cylinder. Half way through the 1984 model year, a new space-saver spare wheel was added, that provided room for a larger fuel tank (with a second "transfer" fuel pump). Leather interior, power windows and mirrors, air conditioning, and a manual sunroof were options for all years. Engine power and torque steadily increased over the years. The 1984 model year saw the return of two windshield wipers (vice the large single wiper), absent since the 1976 models. 1982 and 1983 models produced 74 hp and 90 ft.lbf of torque. The engine code was EN. The 1984 models produced 90 hp and 100 ft.lbf torque, the engine code was JH. In mid-1986, a 16-valve model was released in the United States and Canada, which included a full body skirt, larger rear spoiler, and tear-drop shaped wheel slots to distinguish it from Mark II 8-valve models. The two engines offered were the PL code (with 123 hp and 120 ft.lbf of torque), and the Europe-only KR code (139 hp), which had no emissions equipment.Like the first generation Scirocco, the car was assembled on behalf of Volkswagen by Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
of Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
.
Scirocco sales continued until 1988 in the United States, 1989 in Canada, and 1992 in Germany.
The Scirocco was effectively replaced by the Corrado
Volkswagen Corrado
The Volkswagen Corrado is a hatchback coupé developed by German automaker Volkswagen and built by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany, between 1 September 1988 and 31 July 1995....
in the VW line-up, although this had been on sale since 1989 and aimed further upmarket.
Scirocco III (2008–present)
VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
officially announced in June 2006 production of a new Scirocco model at the AutoEuropa
AutoEuropa
AutoEuropa - Automóveis Lda. is a motor vehicle assembly plant, located in the city of Palmela, Portugal.-Foundation:After signature of a joint venture agreement between Volkswagen Group and Ford in July 1991, the 2million sqm plant was built in four years, including a surrounding industrial park...
assembly plant in Palmela
Palmela
Palmela is a town and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of and a total population of 58,222 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in Setúbal District, about south of Lisbon.The municipal holiday is June 1....
, Portugal.
The new model, identified by the internal type numbers 137 or 1K8, is based on the PQ35 platform of the Golf V
Volkswagen Golf Mk5
The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 , built on the Volkswagen Group A5 platform was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October 2003 and went on sale in Europe one month later. To commemorate this, Wolfsburg was renamed "Golfsburg" for a week. It reached North American markets in June...
and was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It went on sale in summer 2008 in Europe, with sales in other countries beginning early 2009. The German model had a price of €21,750.
The 2008 model of the Scirocco received a 5 star safety rating from EuroNCAP even after the driver test dummy hit its head off the steering wheel because of the airbag "bottoming out".
The model tested was a left-hand-drive 3-door hatchback and scored in 4 areas:
- Adult Occupant , 31 points.
- Child Occupant , 36 points.
- Pedestrian , 19 points.
- Safety Assist , 5 points.
IROC concept (2006)
A concept carConcept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
previewing the then upcoming Scirocco III was unveiled at the 2006 Paris Auto Show
Mondial de l'Automobile 2006
The 2006 Paris Motor Show took place from September 30 to October 15, 2006, in Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.- Introductions :* Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione* Audi A3 1.8 TFSI* Audi A4 2.8 FSI* Audi R8...
. Named IROC, from the middle four letters of "Scirocco", it used a 200-hp TSI engine.
2.0 TSI EA888 (2008)
Uses a IHI K03 water-cooled turbocharger incorporated in exhaust manifold (BorgWarner is used in EA113 2.0 TSI versions)Scirocco GT24 (2008-)
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
. It has a 2.0L TSI engine rated 325 PS and 340 newton metre @2100rpm, DSG transmission.
The GT24 was unveiled at GTI Meet 2008 in Wörthersee
Wörthersee
The Wörthersee is an alpine lake in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia.-General facts:The lake is elongated, about 20 km long and 1–2 km wide. It stretches from the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt in the east to Velden in the west...
.
Scirocco Studie R (2008)
The Studie R is a concept car based on the Scirocco GT24, after Volkswagen had cancelled the production of the Scirocco R32. It has a 2.0L TSI engine rated at 270 PS, 6-speed dual clutch transmission, 4-piston brake calipers and a sound-optimized exhaust system with oval, polished tailpipes.The Studie R was unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show.
Scirocco R (2009-)
The Scirocco R is a production model based on the GT24. Its 2.0L TSI engine is rated 265 PS at 6000rpm and 350 newton metre at 2500rpm, large air intake openings in the front bumper, an integrated front spoiler, bi-xenon headlights, larger rear roof edge spoiler, black diffuser, dual exhaust with chrome tailpipes, Talladega 18-in alloy wheels.UK models went on sale in 2009.
Scirocco 1.4 TSI BlueMotion Technology
The Scirocco BlueMotion Technology has a 1.4L turbo (122PS) engine with the BlueMotionBlueMotion
BlueMotion is a tradename for certain car models from the Volkswagen Group with an emphasis on higher fuel efficiency.Volkswagen introduced the name in 2006 on the Mk4 Polo BlueMotion, and in 2007 a version based on the current Passat was released...
Technology package. This car features a 68Ah battery and reduced emissions because of special tyres and other gearbox specifications
Absence of a North American version
In April 2007, VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
America vice president Adrian Hallmark claimed that Volkswagen preferred not to bring the Scirocco to North America since it could negatively affect GTI
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
sales. It was later stated that the final decision would be made in 2008 by Martin Winterkorn
Martin Winterkorn
Martin Winterkorn is the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, the parent company of the Volkswagen Group, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Audi and Porsche Automobil Holding SE....
(Volkswagen's CEO), not Volkswagen of America.
In early March 2008 MotorAuthority reported that, due to the increasing gap between the American Dollar and the Euro, the Scirocco would not be made available for American Consumers.
"This car would fit the U.S. market but at the current exchange rate we wouldn't make any money." Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
sales and marketing chief Detlef Wittig told Bloomberg reporters.
Engines
| Model | Years | engine type/code | Power@rpm | Torque@rpm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol engines | |||||
| 1.4 TSI 122 bhp | 2008- | 1390 cc I4 turbo | 122 PS @5000 | 200 newton metre @1500-4000 | |
| 1.4 TSI 122 bhp BlueMotion Technology | 2009- | 1390 cc I4 turbo | 122 PS @5000 | 200 newton metre @1500-4000 | |
| 1.4 TSI 160 bhp | 2008- | 1390 cc I4 supercharger + turbo | 160 PS @5800 | 240 newton metre @1500-4500 | |
| 2.0 TSI 200-210 bhp | 2008- | 1984 cc I4 turbo (EA888 -CCTA/CBFA/CAWB) | 210 PS @5300-6200 | 280 newton metre @1700-5000 | |
| Scirocco R/2.0 TSI | 2009- | 1984 cc I4 turbo (EA113) | 265 PS @6000 | 350 newton metre @2500 | |
| Diesel engines | |||||
| 2.0 TDI CR 140 bhp | 2008- | 1968 cc I4 turbo | 140 PS @4000 | 320 newton metre @1750-2500 | |
| 2.0 TDI CR 170 bhp | 2009- | 1968 cc I4 turbo | 170 PS @4200 | 350 newton metre @1750-2500 | |
Transmissions
All models include standard 6-speed manual transmission. The 1.4 TSI (160PS) can optionally be fitted with a 7-speed DSG transmission, while the 2.0 TSI 200, 2.0 TSI 210, R 2.0 TSI 265 and 2.0 TDI are available with a 6-speed DSG transmission.Motorsports
In the 24 Hours Nürburgring24 Hours Nürburgring
The 24 Hours Nürburgring is a touring car and GT endurance racing event on the Nürburgring Nordschleife . With a lap length of over , it allows the participation of more than 200 cars, and over 700 drivers.-Overview:...
in May 2008, three new Volkswagen Scirocco did very well in the field of over 200, among them many high powered cars, finishing 11th and 15th, with veteran Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans-Joachim Stuck , nicknamed "Strietzel", is a German racing driver who has competed in Formula One and many other categories. He is the son of the legendary Hans Stuck. As a young boy, his father taught him driving on the Nürburgring. In 1969 he started his first ever motor race at the...
driving both cars (and Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...
the slower one). The direct competitors, two Opel Astra
Opel Astra
The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
GTC driven by drivers selected from 18,000 hopefuls in a year-long TV covered process, were beaten decisively. In the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship
Scandinavian Touring Car Championship
The Scandinavian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series based in Scandinavia. The series took over from the Danish Touring Car Championship and Swedish Touring Car Championship, with its first season in 2011. The Scandinavian Touring Car Cup was awarded in 2010 to the driver with...
, Fredrik Ekblom
Fredrik Ekblom
Fredrik Ekblom is a Swedish race car driver from Kumla.-Career:He made 13 Indy Lights starts in 1992 and 1993. He then made three starts in CART for three different teams and was entered in the 1994 and 1995 Indianapolis 500 races, but after passing rookie orientation in 1994, he never appeared...
drives a Scirocco for the Biogas team. The car is run on biogas and not petrol.