Volkswagen will be showcasing four new models at the upcoming Auto Mobil International (AMI) show in Leipzig, from the CC, Scirocco, Beetle, and Polo ranges.
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The Volkswagen Scirocco might make its way to America next year, but until then all we can do is be jealous of the Europeans who get to buy the newly announced Volkswagen Scirocco GTS.
The last generation Volkswagen Scirocco coupe didn’t make its way across the ocean to the US, but thanks to hints from VW’s North American CEO, we now have hope that the newest generation model will be offered here in the States.
“That’s a piece of the lineup that I would dearly love to see here,” said CEO of VW Group of America, Jonathan Browning when asked about the newest version of the Scirocco.
The Scirocco coupe was last sold here in 1988, and was only produced until 1992 when it was replaced by the Volkswagen Corrado. When the car was reintroduced in 2008, there was to much risk for Volkswagen to export them to the States thanks to the recession, and the fact that the Scirocco would likely steal sales away from the GTI.
A facelifted Scirocco coupe is expected sometime in 2013, and hopefully when the car is revealed we will find out more about VW’s sales plan.
When speaking with Automotive News, Browning also revealed that there is a chance the diesel powered Volkswagen Alltrack might make its way to North America as well, as it was displayed at the 2012 New York Auto Show strictly to gauge customer reaction in America.
[Source: Automotive News]
Volkswagen fanboys can rejoice at the news of VW of America’s CEO Jonathan Browning’s announcement that he wants to see the Scirocco sports coupe make its way to the United States.
Speaking to USA Today, Browning remarked that “I’d love to … We were not able to make the case to bring it in this (product) cycle, but in the future, I’d love to see it here in the U.S.” Volkswagen is currently launching the Golf R, a high performance variant of the GTI, and a new Scirocco could potentially cannibalize sales of the Golf R.
In addition, VW’s mainstream products, like the New Beetle and Passat are being re-designed and resources are liklely being diverted to those product lines, which will drive more sales than the niche sports coupe.
[Source: USA Today]
Volkswagen Officially Launches 40 MPG, 170 HP Polo GTI, Evokes Comparisons To Legendary MK1 Golf GTI
Volkswagen‘s been on a roll with hot hatches lately; the Scirocco, Golf GTI MKVI and Golf R are all fine performance cars that the common man can buy, but as the cars balloon in size, equipment and power, they become further and further removed from their ancestor, the tossable, no-frills MKI GTI.
The car that will inevitably draw comparisons to the MK1 is Volkswagens new Polo GTI, officially announced today, despite being shown at Geneva in March. The MK1 GTI weighed 1830 lbs, a little less than a Lotus Elise, hit 60 mph in just under 9 seconds and put out 110 horsepower from a 1.6L naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.
Today’s Polo GTI, which technically slots in below the Golf, weighs 2632 lbs, pumps out 170 horsepower from a 1.4L four cylinder engine with both a turbocharger and a supercharger and uses a twin-clutch 7-speed gearbox(!) to propel the Polo GTI to 60 in 6.9 seconds while returning a combined 39.9 mpg.
Before the inevitable judgements surface about how the Polo GTI is heavy, too laden with technology and has little in common with the spirit of the original, featherweight GTI, consider the following.
In the mid 1970′s, when the MK1 GTI was released, the dual clutch gearbox was being developed for use in the Porsche 962 LeMans car (and didn’t even appear until the mid 1980s), twincharging was still years away in the Lancia Delta S4 rally car, 40 mpg was the domain of dreadfully slow econoboxes and the premium interiors and build quality of the Polo just didn’t exist. Do I have to mention how far braking and crash safety has come in those few decades?
The Polo GTI packs the kind of technology once available to only the most advanced race cars, and creature comforts of a much more expensive car for relatively little money, not to mention represents a quantum leap in quantitative performance over the MK1 To paraphrase the comedian Louis C.K., this car is amazing and nobody is happy. The fact that this sort of equipment has trickled down into an everyman hot hatch really is a miracle.
GALLERY: Volkswagen Polo GTI
Hit the jump to read the official Volkswagen press release.