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Fine-tuning the Golf chassis has produced a high-performing
model that puts VW back in the coupé market.
By James Scoltock

Volkswagen first brought a Scirocco coupé to market in 1974. Costing the equivalent of €5,000 it was a testbed for the first Golf. Fast forward 34 years and the OEM is pulling a similar trick. A few months before the next-generation Golf is released, a stream of third-generation Sciroccos is racing around the streets of Lisbon.

The new car has taken the essence of the original, having a sports pedigree but still offering the practicality of a day-to-day vehicle. But this time things are somewhat different. The car uses the outgoing PQ35 Golf platform and will be built at Volkswagen’s Autoeuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, alongside the Eos and Sharan, not at Karmann in Germany.

And, while the original Scirocco created the market for affordable coupés, the 2008 version must now compete for its position. Buyers will compare its prices and specifications against cars such as the Audi TT, the BMW 1 series coupé, and the Alfa Brera. VW has kept the price tag low, starting at €21,000 – €10,000 less than the Audi.

VW engineers worked hard to refine the car’s suspension and powertrain. The basic layout of the suspension has been taken from the Golf GTI, but the springs, dampers and stabilisers have been tuned to suit the Scirocco’s lower seating position and different weight distribution.

In keeping with the sports styling, the rear track width has increased by 59mm, compared to the Golf, to 1,575mm. The front track width has increased by 35mm to 1,569mm. The car also takes advantage of Volkswagen’s adaptive chassis control system which allows the driver to choose between three settings: sport, comfort and normal. The system adapts the suspension damping to specific road surfaces, based on signals from three body sensors and three wheel sensors. Along with data from the engine, steering and transmission, this information goes to a central control module which then feeds it to four Tenneco electronic controlled shock absorbers in millisecond cycles.

Stefan Zoufal, who was assigned to the project 18 months ago to head chassis design, says: “It’s challenging to make a sports car that behaves in everyday use. And although it is based on a Golf the small changes we made make a big difference.
“The dynamic chassis control system allows you to drive over long distances comfortably or, if you want more fun on winding roads, you can switch to sport mode and drive more aggressively,” he says.

It’s hard to tell whether having sports mode on increases lateral acceleration by much. The Scirocco’s chassis keeps the car planted; it felt happy to be thrown into corners on twisting hill roads, but still remained comfortable on the motorway.

The Scirocco will be available with a range of engines. The entry-level unit will be a 1.4 that produces 90kW (120hp) of power and 200Nm of torque. The biggest will be a 2-litre engine that produces 147kW (200hp) of power and 280Nm of torque.
But Volkswagen expects the top-end 1.4-litre turbocharged and supercharged variant to be most popular as customers look for performance and economy. It is the same engine as in the current Golf GT, but with slightly different tuning.

Whereas the GT’s powertrain produces 125kW (168hp) of power at 6,000rpm, the Scirocco’s pumps out only 118kW (160hp), but both produce 240Nm of torque. The real difference is in the CO2 emissions: the 1,271kg Scirocco produces 154g/km of CO2, 15g/km less than the slightly lighter 1,265kg Golf GT. “The 118kW version is an improvement for the Scirocco and it’s likely you’ll find the same engine in next year’s Golf too,” says Zoufal.

The difference in performance with the 2-litre variant is not that marked. Although it falls short in top-end speed and acceleration, its maximum torque is available from 1,750rpm to 4,500rpm.

Volkswagen will also sell a turbodiesel, producing 103kW (140hp) of power at 4,200rpm and developing its maximum torque of 320Nm at 1,750rpm.
Performance and economy have been increased by offering six and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions. The seven-speed works with two dry clutches while the dual-clutch six-speed variant runs in a wet oil bath.

“We did a lot of development at places like the Nurburgring,” says Zoufal. “The Scirocco’s lightness becomes noticeable on the track.” The experience must have been useful in May when the car entered the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race and won the 2-litre class. It should also help to re-establish the car’s sporting credentials.

The 2008 Scirocco continues the trend VW started in 1974 by sharing adaptable technologies in as many products as possible. The result is a range of enormous diversity that is still increasing sales despite a shrinking market. The latest model is further proof that VW’s strategy is working.

Suppliers to the Volkswagen Scirroco