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Ask us what Euro-only model we'd import to the States and the Volkswagen Scirocco would be near the top of the list. It combines everything we love about the GTI into a more attractive, racy package and, just like it's boxy brethren, it's packed with tuning potential.
HPA has been at the forefront of VW and Audi modifications for years, and the Canadian tuning firm has worked out a deal with V-Dub to import a handful of Sciroccos into British Colombia each year to finally offer North American gearheads the hot hatch we deserve. But naturally, they're not leaving good-enough alone.
Although the Scirocco tops out in R trim with a 265-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI four-cylinder, HPA will swap in a fully-built 3.2-liter V6 complete with a pair of Garrett H25 turbochargers, along with all-wheel drive. The result is the FT565, good for 550 hp and 500 pound-feet of torque. Bump it up to the Stage 2 package and torque swells to 600 lb-ft and the 0-60 time drops to 3.4 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 11.3 seconds. Top speed? HPA claims 200 mph... in a hatchback.
In addition to the engine mods, the stock brakes have been swapped out in favor of 14-inch, eight-piston units in front and 13-inch rotors out back, with 19-inch aluminum BBS coated in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires.
As you'd expect, such a conversion and importation doesn't come cheap: HPA only plans to build 10 FT565 Sciroccos each year, at a cost of $150,000 a piece. And no, there's no word on whether the Scirocco will be available here in the U.S. Dammit.
Thinking that VW didn't learn their lesson from the $120,000 (Bently built) VW Phaeton. Excellent car both inside and out but it still has the VW branding which will turn most off.
The Scirocco above looks really aggressive, but I would not be able to justify $150K on it. Do like the looks of it tho.
I don't know why VW ever dropped the last Scirocco here in the U.S. It was a nice small sport-coupe, though, of course, with the ever-present bugaboo of poor VW reliability. Some years ago, a friend of mine once sent me out to a local VW shop to check out a used one for a possible purchase. He came close to purchasing it, but ended up choosing a used Honda CRX Si instead.
If they do bring it back, an R model, with 265 HP and the VW 4Motion AWD system, IMO, would be fine....that's plenty of power for a car that size, even with the added weight/drag of AWD. 550 HP would be gross overkill for a regular street car.....and who wants to pay 150K? (maybe more, with dealer mark-ups)
Whenever anyone brings up the Scirocco, we still can't help but wince a bit at the fact that the United States was snubbed from the car's second coming. Apparently we're not alone. According to USA Today, Volkswagen America head honcho Jonathan Browning wouldn't mind seeing the low-slung three-door on our shores, either. Browning said that while Volkswagen was unable to make a solid business case for bringing the Scirocco to the U.S. market the last time around, he still wants to see the car in our neck of the woods. Unfortunately, we may have to wait a few years before that happens.
Browning said that there were a few other more pressing items on his plate at the moment, including improving his company's quality and making the dealer experience more tolerable. Those seem like plenty noble goals, but we still wouldn't mind seeing the 'Rocco on American soil sooner rather than later. While we love the Golf GTI as much as the next lead-footed American, there's just something about a Scirocco that flips all the right switches.