The lowdown
This is the Iroc, a sexy successor to the Scirocco coupe that Volkswagen will launch in 2008. Officially, the Iroc is a concept car, but make no mistake, this dynamic three-door is heading for production. The design doesn’t share many obvious styling cues with the 1974 original. But the show car’s name comes straight from the heart of the word Scirocco, and the production car will be charged with casting a halo over the meat of the VW range – just like the original did. Expect Scirocco prices from £22,000, and power from high-revving TSI fourpot and V6 engines.
Shooting brake or coupe?
The Iroc is conceptually just like the original Scirocco, the work of legendary car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. It has three doors, a transverse engine in the nose, 2+2-seating and a decent-sized boot. The show car is even painted in viper green metallic, lifted from the 1976 colour palette. But unlike the Scirocco, the Iroc is no classic coupe. It’s more of a shooting brake, reminiscent of last year’s Audi TT Mk2 concept. Missed opportunity? The stance might be butch, and the long-roofed proportions dynamic, but in these pictures it just looks like a glorified Golf GTi. CAR Online believes Volkswagen has erred by not offering more of an alternative bodystyle to the brilliant GTi. That said, it stands no higher than Mercedes’ Sportcoupe.
Design: VW gets aggressive
The Iroc is the most aggressive Volkswagen in years. With its gaping mouth, piercing eye-headlamps and twin airdams feeding the turbocharger’s intercooler, it has far more presence than anything in the current range. This is the second VW concept to experiment with a gaping, Audi-style grille packed with honeycomb mesh. With the Ecoracer and Iroc testing the water, VW is clearly thinking seriously about introducing this feature. The exterior design is very close to the production car’s. While some of the fancy details may be toned down, the general theme is surely etched in stone. Don’t believe us? It even has a rear wiper, a rarity on a flight of fancy concept. That’s the biggest reality cheque VW could sign, aside from slapping on decals saying ‘Yup, this is the new Scirocco’.
Under the skin
The Iroc is based on a bespoke platform with a long, 2680mm wheelbase, but the production car’s components will be closely paired with the Golf’s. That means front- and four-wheel drive, and a very similar overall length. The Iroc runs one of Volkswagen’s new Twincharge engines, coupled with both a supercharger and a turbo. Already available in the Golf GT with 170bhp, here the 1.4-litre has been boosted to kick out 210bhp. The supercharger boosts power at low revs without any lag, before the turbo kicks in. The result is more power and improved fuel economy. The engine is biased towards outright power rather than than torque, which means high revs – similar to a Honda’s VTEC engines – and lots of gearchanges to exploit it. Luckily the gearboxes are more than up to the job. The Iroc gets a twin-clutch DSG gearbox which allows lightning-fast changes, although a six-speed manual will also be offered on the production car. Other likely engines include the 1.7- and 2.0-litre TSIs that are in the pipeline. A 170bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a flagship V6 are also on the cards.
The inside story
Looks familiar? That’s because the dashboard architecture is nigh on identical to the new Audi TT’s, with the odd outbreak of Lamborghini Gallardo switchgear. Expect many of the design themes to survive – the milled from steel-look to the door trims, and the centre console and the circular dials – perhaps slightly toned down. The steering wheel incorporates the gearshift selector for the DSG, and there’s a tiny turbo boost gauge, too. The Iroc has an adequate boot, with up to 300 litres of capacity behind the rear seats. These also fold flat to create more space.
The original
The Scirocco was launched in 1974, with 50-110bhp four-cylinder engines turning the front wheels. It was a huge success with over 500,000 cars produced, before the second-generation car replaced it in 1981. The last Mk2 Scirocco was sold in the UK in 1993; overall, 77,000 found homes here. The Scirocco name then went into the deep freeze, with its successor being called Corrado, but it’s certain to make a comeback in 2008…
What’s next?
After its Paris motor show debut in September, VW’s engineers will have 18 months to make the Iroc a production reality. Cold weather testing in Scandinavia, extreme heat testing in Arizona and probably Nurburgring handling tests lie in wait. Then sales of the Scirocco Mk3 begin in spring 2008. Expect prices not far off the Audi TT’s, that’s a couple of grand beyond the £20k Golf GTi.
What’s next?
After its Paris motor show debut in September, VW’s engineers will have 18 months to make the Iroc a production reality. Cold weather testing in Scandinavia, extreme heat testing in Arizona and probably Nurburgring handling tests lie in wait. Then sales of the Scirocco Mk3 begin in spring 2008. Expect prices not far off the Audi TT’s, that’s a couple of grand beyond the £20k Golf GTi.