VW scIROCco Concept revealed

Brookside · 08-24-2006, 07:39 PM

VW scIROCco Concept Revealed

Highlights

VW Iroc concept as a perspective on the sports car of tomorrow

Iroc transfers the globally successful Scirocco idea into the future.

Sports car with four seats, sleek design and agile turbo engines

The comeback of a successful idea: 33 years ago at the international Motor Show in Geneva Volkswagen presented a sensational coupé. It was compact, distinctive, agile, spacious and affordable. Volkswagen called it the Scirocco. The car struck the nerve of the times: More than half a million first generation Sciroccos were produced worldwide. Turning point: **In August 2006 the largest car maker in Europe is showing the reinterpretation of the successful Scirocco idea in a world premiere – the Iroc concept.

New VW sports car design: Like the first Scirocco with its visual straightforwardness the Iroc also marks a stylistic turning point through its progressively designed radiator grill and a distinctive sensuality of forms. The concept of both Volkswagens is closely related, even though the vehicles are separated by over three decades: The first generation Scirocco was an attainable dream car for many people. Because the Scirocco was an automotive superstar of the 70’s, styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and equipped with four full-fledged seats, a proper trunk, large hatchback and a lot of self-esteem. The Iroc concept takes up this fascinating idea again.

Purebred sports car instead of a classic coupé: *However, in contrast to the original Scirocco the Iroc is no classic coupé, but a progressively designed sports car with an extremely long roof and a comparatively steep rear end. This has two advantages. Firstly: The Iroc features sharp proportions. Especially when viewed from behind it becomes immediately apparent that this long roof together with side window sections is situated on very broad and powerful shoulders. The Iroc thus achieves a waist of flawless sports car theory. Secondly: The Iroc also has room in back for two adults and ample luggage. On balance the provocatively designed Iroc combines a high degree of suitability for daily use, pure driving fun and expressive design into a Volkswagen that as a possible series-production vehicle will also be very attractively positioned in terms of price.

Viper green meets dark carbon: The Iroc concept exhibits numerous subtleties in detail. Paint example: Although anything but retro styled, the green used is an homage to the first generation Scirocco for which this exact shade of color was especially typical starting with the 1976 model. Then as now it’s called “viper green metallic”. This glaring green of the Iroc is especially effective in combination with the high contrast black shades of the concept. Carbon example: The central roof element is composed of dark tinted glass; this element is supported by a structure covered with carbon. An integrated lengthwise support is also a part of these materials. The side sills of the Iroc also have a carbon surface. The structure of the sill visible from outside continues seamlessly into the interior.

Sexy dimensions: *With its short overhangs the Iroc efficiently utilizes a wheelbase of 2,680 mm for the space provided inside. The concept is 1,400 mm high, 4,240 mm long and 1,800 mm wide. *The light-alloy rims specially designed for the Iroc and 235 tires are implemented in 19 inch size.

Twincharger and DSG: The Iroc is powered by a TSI engine, referred to in-house as a Twincharger. Shifting tasks are handled by the DSG direct shift gearbox. First employed in the Golf GT in 2006, TSI engines are currently the most efficient four-cylinder gasoline engines in the world. The combination of compressor and turbocharger shows the path to the future. The compressor compensates for the typical powering up weaknesses of turbo-only gasoline engines at low rpms. The turbocharger in contrast packs a mighty punch at higher revs. The combination of both superchargers in large-volume production engines is the only one of its kind in the world. The TSI version used in the concept achieves 155 kW / 210 hp. In principle, a large range of supercharged engines are conceivable for the Iroc that could start significantly under 110 kW / 150 hp. But there’s one thing every engine theoretically employed in the Iroc has to guarantee: Driving fun.

Text & photos edited by Brian Potter
Source: VW AG

Brookside · 08-24-2006, 07:42 PM

This is all over the web...I'm a little late getting to it.
Hard to believe VW will actually make this car that looks this way....?!
But it's real...not a photoshop...read below...

Brookside · 08-25-2006, 08:44 AM

Some Blowback.....

As in scIROCco, not Camaro

By Jared Holstein, AutoWeek> August 2006

The Iroc, the feebly-named concept car VW is pitching as the replacement for the Scirocco, made a rather impressive entrance this evening in Berlin, Germany, circling a banked oval around a huge party of journalists at 40 miles per hour.

Undeniably stylish, the hatchback Iroc (yes, unfortunate connotations of Newport Lights, tank tops, and mullets apply) looks more like what we’d expect the Mk6 GTI replacement to be. We love the broad, aggressive maw, EG Civic-esque C pillars, dramatic tumblehome, and long roofline, which combine for a handsome look that’s wide, sleek, and elegant. The car doesn’t just look wide; it is. We heard a company man in the crowd mention that its track closer to that of a Passat than a Golf. As to the dramatic departure from classic ScIrocco lines that already have the ScIrocco forums in a tizzy, VW says times have changed since the car debuted in the Gerald Ford administration, and it is responding to the market’s call for a* real back seat and room for luggage. The interior is not, however, as finely considered as the exterior, and we hope VW ditches the liberally strewn chunky silver plastic pieces.

The Iroc is powered by VW’s 1.4-liter TSI engine, used in the European market Golf GT, which is twin-charged (yes, both turbocharged and roots-type supercharged) and makes 170 horsepower in the GT, and supposedly 210 in the Iroc. We heard a higher-up mutter the name “Brera,” which makes us think the price will be somewhat north of the GTI with refinement to boot. And we highly doubt we’d get the techno firecracker TSI engine; depending on asking price, a 255-hp 3.2-liter or 280-hp 3.6-liter is more likely for our market. This is another successful volley in a long string of new product concepts and launches birthed by VW. The Iroc will make its public debut at the 2006 Paris auto show in early October.

VWVortex > Jaimie Vondruska

Our take: Our take comes from a hotel room in Berlin just a few hours after a public unveiling a full month before the Paris Auto Show - in other words we've seen it, touched it and sat in it already. First impressions? Admittedly for me some disappointment that the car isn't the modern day Scirocco that I was expecting. After seeing it in photos first, I wasn't prepared for the real-life dimensions - this sucker is low and wide sitting more than 3 inches lower and 1.5 inches wider than the GTI. It looks mean sitting on the stage with taut lines, huge bulging fenders, wide rear haunches and 19" wheels with 235/35ZR-19 rubber. Volkswagen's (in)famous "face" is evolving once again in the Scirocco concept with a pronounced brushed aluminum grill surround, stetched honeycomb grill and pulled back headlamps that look far more aggressive than anything else in the lineup. We see some Audi A3, some GTI, some Volvo C30 and some Alfa Romeo influences in the design. It all hangs together pretty well, but whether it looks like a VW is a little harder to decide. Overall though we think it would make a far better GTI than a Scirocco albeit you'd give up some of the current boxy utility of the Golf in exchange for sexier curves and far more aggressive look.

We had a chance to chat with the exterior designer Robert Lesnik about the IROC concept and how it all came to be. Dr. Bernhard wanted to see the company getting back to its roots and do something a bit more emotional and exciting. The idea of bringing the Scirocco back was one possibility but a source of great debate as whether to go the retro design route or start from a clean sheet of paper. In the end the clean sheet of paper won out as Volkswagen wanted to steer clear of the whole retro thing. The decision was also made that the car should be practical as well with a true 2+2 seating arrangement. This dictated a higher rear roof line that didn't slope as quickly. Yet Robert said they wanted to make sure the car had a very aggressive stance so they used EOS and Passat dimensions which permitted the design team to work the sheetmetal more around the wheels and out to the corners.

To our eyes the IROC delivers on the low-slung performance hatch appearance and if the handling and performance are nailed down as well as Bernhard brags about, this thing should make for an impressive and unique offering. Would we still like to see more of a modern-day Scirocco? Admittedly yes, but if we took the Scirocco name out of the equation there is no question we'd love to see the IROC produced. What to call it then is the real question... Maybe Volkswagen of America should dump the forthcoming Golf VI GTI and instead bring this over as a new GTI. Time will tell.

Will L. · 08-25-2006, 10:06 AM

I'm really disappointed. I had seen some photoshops prior to this that looked very nice, but I'm afraid this does nothing for me.

It seems similar to a number of Japanese concepts I've seen, and it doesn't look particularly sporty or interesting. Just . . . bright.

Brookside · 08-25-2006, 02:42 PM

Oh yeah, it is vulgar, juvenille, overdone (that fishmouth grille!) and looks like a poseur...I mean "IROC" says it all...(sorry all you purists...IROC is so stupid it's brilliant)
and I really really like it....and I'll bet most of you will too if it comes out looking the way it does in these photos.

I especially like the heat it puts on BMW not to water down the 1-2-series coupe. Whatever the heck they're going to numerically tag it.

I hope BMW's brass are livid. I hope Suzanne Quandt breaks a spiked heel stomping the carpet while she watches little green IROC's buzz around on YouTube.
I hope Chris Bangle curls his lip and sneers when asked about the IROC's design attributes.
I hope some pimply faced spiked hair spoiled brat rolls by me at 50 in a 35mph zone in his slime green IROC and my wife says,
"Well, are you going to let that punk get away with that..."

I hope VW brings this cute little ugly thing out as is -asap.
Let the war of the fast small cars begin!

:headbang: :headbang:

Will L. · 08-25-2006, 03:48 PM

Remember these?

If I had never seen those, I might have liked this concept more, but IMO those representations are much closer to the spirit of the original Scirocco (which I loved) than this concept.

It's probably a matter of semantics and expectations more than anything. If they pulled the cover off this and said it was the next R-32, I think I'd be all over it, but after getting my hopes up for a true Scirocco successor, I'm disappointed.

Brookside · 08-25-2006, 08:35 PM

Gary...Who knows what VW will eventually release as the Scirocco- those photos you posted of the car are absolutely gorgeous...
but VW has a habit of teasing us with sexy desirable product and then unveiling the ultra-conservative frumpy reality. (see Tiguan)
The IROC Concept is fun and goofy- a nice run-up to the real thing.

I wonder if BMW is going to perform some sleight of hand with the 2-coupe by premiering a concept?

Will L. · 08-25-2006, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brookside

Gary...Who knows what VW will eventually release as the Scirocco- those photos you posted of the car are absolutely gorgeous...
but VW has a habit of teasing us with sexy desirable product and then unveiling the ultra-conservative frumpy reality. (see Tiguan)
The IROC Concept is fun and goofy- a nice run-up to the real thing.

I wonder if BMW is going to perform some sleight of hand with the 2-coupe by premiering a concept?

Those Scirocco sketches/photoshops I posted are close to what I'm hoping for the 2(1?) - Coupe, so it does leave the door wide open for BMW. Their 3-door one-series should be competitive with this Scirocco (assuming VW is showing us something close to the production car).

The 3-door hatch sport-coupe seems to be a very popular configuration all of the sudden. There's the Volvo C-30:

New Subaru Imprezza (B-5 Concept):

We've seen spy photos of the 1-series 3-door, and now we've got the IROC.

But there seems to be a marked lack of small, sporty 2-door coupes such as we are expecting/hoping from the 2 series. About the closest thing I'm aware of is the new Audi-TT (maybe the 350Z or Infiniti G-35, though both of those are a little bigger/heavier than I'm hoping for the 2-series)

Great for BMW (if they actually come through) but not so great for us consumers who could use some choice and some pressure to keep BMW honest.

kere · 08-26-2006, 02:52 AM

The C-30 is one ugly looking car. The grey/blue VW looks great.

08-24-2006, 07:39 PM	#1
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	VW scIROCco Concept revealed VW scIROCco Concept Revealed Highlights VW Iroc concept as a perspective on the sports car of tomorrow Iroc transfers the globally successful Scirocco idea into the future. Sports car with four seats, sleek design and agile turbo engines The comeback of a successful idea: 33 years ago at the international Motor Show in Geneva Volkswagen presented a sensational coupé. It was compact, distinctive, agile, spacious and affordable. Volkswagen called it the Scirocco. The car struck the nerve of the times: More than half a million first generation Sciroccos were produced worldwide. Turning point: *In August 2006 the largest car maker in Europe is showing the reinterpretation of the successful Scirocco idea in a world premiere – the Iroc concept. New VW sports car design: Like the first Scirocco with its visual straightforwardness the Iroc also marks a stylistic turning point through its progressively designed radiator grill and a distinctive sensuality of forms. The concept of both Volkswagens is closely related, even though the vehicles are separated by over three decades: The first generation Scirocco was an attainable dream car for many people. Because the Scirocco was an automotive superstar of the 70’s, styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and equipped with four full-fledged seats, a proper trunk, large hatchback and a lot of self-esteem. The Iroc concept takes up this fascinating idea again. Purebred sports car instead of a classic coupé: However, in contrast to the original Scirocco the Iroc is no classic coupé, but a progressively designed sports car with an extremely long roof and a comparatively steep rear end. This has two advantages. Firstly: The Iroc features sharp proportions. Especially when viewed from behind it becomes immediately apparent that this long roof together with side window sections is situated on very broad and powerful shoulders. The Iroc thus achieves a waist of flawless sports car theory. Secondly: The Iroc also has room in back for two adults and ample luggage. On balance the provocatively designed Iroc combines a high degree of suitability for daily use, pure driving fun and expressive design into a Volkswagen that as a possible series-production vehicle will also be very attractively positioned in terms of price. Viper green meets dark carbon: The Iroc concept exhibits numerous subtleties in detail. Paint example: Although anything but retro styled, the green used is an homage to the first generation Scirocco for which this exact shade of color was especially typical starting with the 1976 model. Then as now it’s called “viper green metallic”. This glaring green of the Iroc is especially effective in combination with the high contrast black shades of the concept. Carbon example: The central roof element is composed of dark tinted glass; this element is supported by a structure covered with carbon. An integrated lengthwise support is also a part of these materials. The side sills of the Iroc also have a carbon surface. The structure of the sill visible from outside continues seamlessly into the interior. Sexy dimensions: With its short overhangs the Iroc efficiently utilizes a wheelbase of 2,680 mm for the space provided inside. The concept is 1,400 mm high, 4,240 mm long and 1,800 mm wide. The light-alloy rims specially designed for the Iroc and 235 tires are implemented in 19 inch size. Twincharger and DSG: The Iroc is powered by a TSI engine, referred to in-house as a Twincharger. Shifting tasks are handled by the DSG direct shift gearbox. First employed in the Golf GT in 2006, TSI engines are currently the most efficient four-cylinder gasoline engines in the world. The combination of compressor and turbocharger shows the path to the future. The compressor compensates for the typical powering up weaknesses of turbo-only gasoline engines at low rpms. The turbocharger in contrast packs a mighty punch at higher revs. The combination of both superchargers in large-volume production engines is the only one of its kind in the world. The TSI version used in the concept achieves 155 kW / 210 hp. In principle, a large range of supercharged engines are conceivable for the Iroc that could start significantly under 110 kW / 150 hp. But there’s one thing every engine theoretically employed in the Iroc has to guarantee: Driving fun. Text & photos edited by Brian Potter Source: VW AG
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08-24-2006, 07:42 PM	#2
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	This is all over the web...I'm a little late getting to it. Hard to believe VW will actually make this car that looks this way....?! But it's real...not a photoshop...read below...
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08-25-2006, 08:44 AM	#3
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	Some Blowback..... As in scIROCco, not Camaro By Jared Holstein, AutoWeek> August 2006 The Iroc, the feebly-named concept car VW is pitching as the replacement for the Scirocco, made a rather impressive entrance this evening in Berlin, Germany, circling a banked oval around a huge party of journalists at 40 miles per hour. Undeniably stylish, the hatchback Iroc (yes, unfortunate connotations of Newport Lights, tank tops, and mullets apply) looks more like what we’d expect the Mk6 GTI replacement to be. We love the broad, aggressive maw, EG Civic-esque C pillars, dramatic tumblehome, and long roofline, which combine for a handsome look that’s wide, sleek, and elegant. The car doesn’t just look wide; it is. We heard a company man in the crowd mention that its track closer to that of a Passat than a Golf. As to the dramatic departure from classic ScIrocco lines that already have the ScIrocco forums in a tizzy, VW says times have changed since the car debuted in the Gerald Ford administration, and it is responding to the market’s call for a* real back seat and room for luggage. The interior is not, however, as finely considered as the exterior, and we hope VW ditches the liberally strewn chunky silver plastic pieces. The Iroc is powered by VW’s 1.4-liter TSI engine, used in the European market Golf GT, which is twin-charged (yes, both turbocharged and roots-type supercharged) and makes 170 horsepower in the GT, and supposedly 210 in the Iroc. We heard a higher-up mutter the name “Brera,” which makes us think the price will be somewhat north of the GTI with refinement to boot. And we highly doubt we’d get the techno firecracker TSI engine; depending on asking price, a 255-hp 3.2-liter or 280-hp 3.6-liter is more likely for our market. This is another successful volley in a long string of new product concepts and launches birthed by VW. The Iroc will make its public debut at the 2006 Paris auto show in early October. VWVortex > Jaimie Vondruska Our take: Our take comes from a hotel room in Berlin just a few hours after a public unveiling a full month before the Paris Auto Show - in other words we've seen it, touched it and sat in it already. First impressions? Admittedly for me some disappointment that the car isn't the modern day Scirocco that I was expecting. After seeing it in photos first, I wasn't prepared for the real-life dimensions - this sucker is low and wide sitting more than 3 inches lower and 1.5 inches wider than the GTI. It looks mean sitting on the stage with taut lines, huge bulging fenders, wide rear haunches and 19" wheels with 235/35ZR-19 rubber. Volkswagen's (in)famous "face" is evolving once again in the Scirocco concept with a pronounced brushed aluminum grill surround, stetched honeycomb grill and pulled back headlamps that look far more aggressive than anything else in the lineup. We see some Audi A3, some GTI, some Volvo C30 and some Alfa Romeo influences in the design. It all hangs together pretty well, but whether it looks like a VW is a little harder to decide. Overall though we think it would make a far better GTI than a Scirocco albeit you'd give up some of the current boxy utility of the Golf in exchange for sexier curves and far more aggressive look. We had a chance to chat with the exterior designer Robert Lesnik about the IROC concept and how it all came to be. Dr. Bernhard wanted to see the company getting back to its roots and do something a bit more emotional and exciting. The idea of bringing the Scirocco back was one possibility but a source of great debate as whether to go the retro design route or start from a clean sheet of paper. In the end the clean sheet of paper won out as Volkswagen wanted to steer clear of the whole retro thing. The decision was also made that the car should be practical as well with a true 2+2 seating arrangement. This dictated a higher rear roof line that didn't slope as quickly. Yet Robert said they wanted to make sure the car had a very aggressive stance so they used EOS and Passat dimensions which permitted the design team to work the sheetmetal more around the wheels and out to the corners. To our eyes the IROC delivers on the low-slung performance hatch appearance and if the handling and performance are nailed down as well as Bernhard brags about, this thing should make for an impressive and unique offering. Would we still like to see more of a modern-day Scirocco? Admittedly yes, but if we took the Scirocco name out of the equation there is no question we'd love to see the IROC produced. What to call it then is the real question... Maybe Volkswagen of America should dump the forthcoming Golf VI GTI and instead bring this over as a new GTI. Time will tell.
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08-25-2006, 10:06 AM	#4
Will L. Private First Class 2 Rep 143 Posts Drives: 2003 Z4 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: South Jersey iTrader: (0) Garage List 2001 Ducati 750 Sport [0.00] 2003 Z4 [7.00]	I'm really disappointed. I had seen some photoshops prior to this that looked very nice, but I'm afraid this does nothing for me. It seems similar to a number of Japanese concepts I've seen, and it doesn't look particularly sporty or interesting. Just . . . bright.
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08-25-2006, 02:42 PM	#5
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	Oh yeah, it is vulgar, juvenille, overdone (that fishmouth grille!) and looks like a poseur...I mean "IROC" says it all...(sorry all you purists...IROC is so stupid it's brilliant) and I really really like it....and I'll bet most of you will too if it comes out looking the way it does in these photos. I especially like the heat it puts on BMW not to water down the 1-2-series coupe. Whatever the heck they're going to numerically tag it. I hope BMW's brass are livid. I hope Suzanne Quandt breaks a spiked heel stomping the carpet while she watches little green IROC's buzz around on YouTube. I hope Chris Bangle curls his lip and sneers when asked about the IROC's design attributes. I hope some pimply faced spiked hair spoiled brat rolls by me at 50 in a 35mph zone in his slime green IROC and my wife says, "Well, are you going to let that punk get away with that..." I hope VW brings this cute little ugly thing out as is -asap. Let the war of the fast small cars begin! :headbang: :headbang:
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08-25-2006, 03:48 PM	#6
Will L. Private First Class 2 Rep 143 Posts Drives: 2003 Z4 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: South Jersey iTrader: (0) Garage List 2001 Ducati 750 Sport [0.00] 2003 Z4 [7.00]	Remember these? If I had never seen those, I might have liked this concept more, but IMO those representations are much closer to the spirit of the original Scirocco (which I loved) than this concept. It's probably a matter of semantics and expectations more than anything. If they pulled the cover off this and said it was the next R-32, I think I'd be all over it, but after getting my hopes up for a true Scirocco successor, I'm disappointed.
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08-25-2006, 08:35 PM	#7
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	Gary...Who knows what VW will eventually release as the Scirocco- those photos you posted of the car are absolutely gorgeous... but VW has a habit of teasing us with sexy desirable product and then unveiling the ultra-conservative frumpy reality. (see Tiguan) The IROC Concept is fun and goofy- a nice run-up to the real thing. I wonder if BMW is going to perform some sleight of hand with the 2-coupe by premiering a concept?
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08-26-2006, 02:52 AM	#9
kere Private First Class 1 Rep 114 Posts Drives: - Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Finland iTrader: (0)	The C-30 is one ugly looking car. The grey/blue VW looks great.
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