What is a Scirocco?
4 Answers
Scirocco is the Volkswagen Scirocco, an all-weather sports coupe from Volkswagen. The car features avant-garde and dynamic design, hailed as the most dynamic two-door coupe ever produced by Volkswagen. The Scirocco adopts front-wheel drive, ventilated disc brakes, and is powered by an L4 2.0L fuel direct injection engine. It offers two trim levels for consumers to choose from: the Sport version and the Luxury version. The front of the Scirocco first adopts a horizontal line design in the upper area, with a narrow black air intake in a precious metal style arranged between the simple headlights. Below this is a clearly laid-out area painted in the same color as the car body.
The Volkswagen Scirocco is a very distinctive coupe. When the first generation was launched in 1974, it fascinated young Europeans. Personally, I think its most attractive feature is the fastback design, resembling a crouching cheetah ready to sprint. I drove my friend's 2010 2.0T version—the sport seats provided excellent support, the steering wheel was heavier than a regular Golf's but very precise, and the rear end felt particularly stable when cornering. You can still occasionally see modified Sciroccos on the road today, with owners often tweaking the wheels and exhaust. It's a shame the third generation wasn't introduced in China, otherwise, I think many young people would consider this affordable yet nostalgic coupe.
Speaking of the Scirocco reminds me of the 'hot hatch' title often mentioned in car magazines. This car was designed by Volkswagen to compete with the Honda CR-X, with its engine gradually upgraded from the initial 1.1-liter four-cylinder to the later 2.0T producing 200 horsepower. The chassis tuning is on the stiff side but doesn't feel harsh over speed bumps, making it especially fun on mountain roads. My favorite is the second-generation model, with headlights that resemble cat's eyes. Actually, it shares the same platform as the regular Golf, but the rear seat space is indeed a bit cramped. Nowadays, you can still find leftover inventory cars from around 2015 in the used car market, which are quite suitable for modifications.
Once at a car show, I saw a modified Scirocco club display. The owner with a matte wrap said the most enjoyable part of this car is its low center of gravity design. I checked the data - the Scirocco's ground clearance is 10cm lower than the Golf's, and combined with the short suspension, it's exceptionally stable at high speeds. Old-school fans know the first generation had a drag coefficient of just 0.42, which was quite impressive for its time. Actually, the 2.0T version isn't too bad on fuel, averaging about 9L/100km in city driving. It's a shame that after discontinuation, parts started getting more expensive, especially the seals for those frameless doors.
