2012 Volkswagen Scirocco TDI
Would it make you feel better if I told all you, my fellow Americans, that the Scirocco is nothing more than a Golf with a steeper windshield? What if I said the wider stance, just under an inch and a half in front and almost two and half inches in the rear, makes no difference at all? What about it being an inch and quarter lower -- that can't make any difference, right? If it helps you sleep better, I will tell you all these things -- but they aren't true.
Since the Scirocco's re-release in 2008, American VW fans have been clamoring for a chance to own one. It may be just another example of us complaining that we don't get all the good stuff, or maybe VW was worried they would fly off lots like the new Jetta. With the GTI and the Scirocco's European and U.K. pricing so similar, VW may be concerned that instead of attracting new buyers, the Scirocco would take sales away from everyone's favorite hot hatch.
The GTI has always been at the top of the small-performance-car stack. It arguably created the hot hatch segment back in the 1970s, and every new generation since has redefined the level of refinement buyers could expect from a usable performance car. What most Americans don't remember is the Scirocco predates the GTI. Volkswagen released the Golf-based variant just before the initial launch of the MK1 chassis in 1974 to work out any early production problems on a lower volume model. Once the GTI went on sale, it stood apart and found a different market. If you're reading this, I'm likely preaching the history lesson to the choir, so let's just get to the meat of this thing and talk about the drive.
After the Frankfurt Auto Show, VW was nice enough to drop off a 2.0-liter TDI DSG Scirocco Sport at the front door of my hotel, at roughly 7 a.m. local time. Those Germans like to get an early start. Sadly, the hotel's valet was full, requiring a mad dash to a nearby parking garage. For those unfamiliar, a German parking garage is a beautiful sight if you appreciate the beauty of engineering and the elegance of simplicity, and you played with Lego or Erector toys as a kid. This garage is almost entirely steel and aluminum. Lattice structures and trusses stack their way to four stories of static car storage efficiency. The entire structure looks like it could be deconstructed, relocated, and reconstructed by a team of five people with only one or two apartments' worth of IKEA furniture experience. But the garage was clearly designed for average European-sized vehicles, and this may be the only time the narrower GTI would have been an advantage. Walking away from the Scirocco in its rubber-lined spot to remedy a half-shaven face was the most difficult part of the ordeal.
2012 Volkswagen Scirocco TDI cockpit
Pack bags, check out, back to the car park. Switch Navi to English, decide between the Euro-techno or American '80s radio station, pay 6 Euro minimum parking fee, and out on the road. We don't get the 168-horsepower 2.0-liter TDI in the States, and that is a shame. The Scirocco only undercuts the GTI/Golf TDI by 20 pounds, but with 258 lb-ft of torque, it pulls the ground under you in thick, gooey swathes. It still doesn't have the top end zing of the 2.0t, but feels so much meatier than our 140-horsepower TDI all across the rev range. The European programming of the six-speed DSG is also different from what we get. The artificial lag built into the North American spec gearbox doesn't exist on these cars. Aggressive poking of the throttle from a stop will jerk the car forward, something Americans are apparently averse to. Going from a throttle poke to full-on pedal bludgeoning results in tire spinning hoonage for a good 5 to 10 feet before the traction control finally tells you both to calm down. Pity the tires that live underfoot of a driver prone to killing traction control altogether.
Power delivery feels nothing like a classic Scirocco, all of which drank gasoline. The 16 valves were especially rev happy and lean on low-end grunt. This forced induction modern clean diesel is quite the opposite. Roll-on acceleration at 100 kph (62 mph) is effortless and a downshift never crosses your mind. Getting up to 180 kph (112 mph) happens before you can say "Schnitzel," and I find those speeds within the first 10 minutes of driving. Even faster than the acceleration is the realization that Germans actually know, appreciate, and practice left lane etiquette. It is so refreshing to have a slower driver happily move out of the way instead of waving hello with a single finger when approached at a high rate of speed. Yes, putting your ego aside and letting someone pass you really truly does make grass greener and birds sing sweeter for everyone in the world.
Getting over 200 kph is almost too easy. There is no drama, very little noise, and certainly no feeling of danger. Again, very unlike older Sciroccos that felt like setting a speed record at anything over 100 mph. Sadly, the car is electronically limited to 220 kph, roughly 137 mph, although the speedometer did show just a little more than that. Making all this even sweeter is that it's all completely legal. Sausage, beer, castles, gummy bears, great drivers, unlimited sections of the Autobahn -- there is just so much to love about Germany.
Surprisingly, the Autobahn section was the least exciting part of the drive. To back up a bit, our route started in Frankfurt. From there, the car shot almost due east for the high-speed fun before turning north on our way up to Schotten. A distance less than my daily round trip commute turns into an epic road trip because of a fantastic car and some of the best scenery anywhere. The Schotten area is flush with motorsports. There are so many areas that claim to be the "home of motorsports" that I am beginning to believe that like most of its devoted participants, racing has no true home and just spends nights on couches all over the world. Regardless, Schotten is home to road rallies, vintage rallies, motorcycle time trials, side car racing, you name it and for the most part, it all takes place on public roads. Needless to say, they have a few good turns and elevation changes in their local forests.
Flying somewhat blind to actual race routes, we started out at the start/finish line and waited for some sport bikes to follow. If you are ever in doubt, follow guys in full riding leathers to the twisties. There is also a chance they are coming back from a good ride, which means you are as likely to find a good lunch spot -- either way you end up happy. We happened upon one of the great roads in the area that winds its way around through hills and trees, the kind of stuff you think of when you think about driving in Europe. Dropping the transmission into Sport Mode keeps the tach needle hovering around 2500 to 3000 rpm range, doesn't sound too high, but remember it is a diesel and by 5500 rpm the show's over, anyway. Selecting Sport Mode for the transmission tightens up the damping rates and increases steering effort slightly.
It takes me a little longer to warm up to the car than I had imagined. Its similarity to a GTI is immediately apparent, but it is just different enough that it's really throwing me off my game. You feel further back in the car, it doesn't feel so "cab forward," and so some of the traditional hot hatch feel is gone. You also feel lower in the car and the extra width along with what feels like a more centered seating position makes the corners feel further away. Overall the sensation is far more sports car than even lowered GTIs deliver. The weight feels more controlled and more centered in the car's track. Under hard cornering it feels flatter and doesn't fall on the outside front tire nearly as much. At the limits, the Scirocco's neutral and even with small throttle inputs both ends seem to let go at the same time. In the GTI, the front lets go first and you can pull it back around with the throttle or you can give it a quick lift and get the car to rotate. The Scirocco never feels like it wants to rotate as fast, even with a quick lift it stays flatter and more planted. The GTI feels more tossable, quicker to change directions, where as the Scirocco feels better at higher speeds, you can make small adjustments with the throttle without bleeding off all your speed. If you're auto-Xing you want the GTI. If you are doing track days on a third gear and above track, you probably want the Scirocco.
2012 Volkswagen Scirocco TDI front seating
From looking at them, you might expect the Scirocco to be smaller inside than the GTI. In actuality, it is just as usable, for four people. The backseats are surprisingly roomy for two adults. Headroom is a bit compromised, but legroom is as good as the GTI. Anyone familiar with the Eos' dash will instantly recognize the Scirocco's. Although this is supposed to be the most brash and angry of all VWs, its nearest relative is the car that most people would probably consider the least performance-oriented. Sadly, the Eos suffers from an additional 400 pounds of curb weight and a loss of rigidity keeping it from Scirocco's epic status. The longstanding perception of VW convertibles being sorority girls' dream cars probably isn't helping, either.
So VW fans, what do we do to get this dream car over here? Sadly, the answer is probably not much. Volkswagen will be quenching our thirst for more performance with the 2012 Golf R at the beginning of the year. It is a one-year deal, and it seems like VW could transition right to a 2013 Scirocco R, but the odds are still fairly low. The Scirocco is getting a little long in the tooth by modern standards, and the new Golf will likely be in production. At best, we might get to see the next generation of Scirocco make its way here. Or maybe we should start working on getting the Polo GTI here. I was able to sit in one at the Frankfurt show, but still haven't driven one. I gotta get back to Germany.
