Official Thread: VW Scirocco R/R Cup CNG/R20T

[mikeyb]

Spyshots















he Scirocco Studie R blew us away when we saw it for the first time at the Bologna Motor Show earlier this year. And now a production version of the white-hot Scirocco, likely to be badged the Scirocco R, has been spied at the infamous Nurburgring circuit in Germany alongside a current 2.0 TFSI car.

Pictured on the right, the Scirocco R is clearly wearing a more aggressive body kit with lower front and rear bumpers and more sculpted side skirts, as well as larger 19-inch wheels. But theres no sign of the wild rear wing attached to the Bologna show car.

When it goes on sale to the public, the Golf-based coupe will feature a storming 262bhp version of the 2.0 TFSI engine already available in 197bhp form. That means a 0-60mph sprint in around six seconds and a 155mph top speed.

Appropriately, both the Scirocco R and Golf R20 will make their public debuts at the Nurburgring 24-hour race in May. Prices should start from around 25,000 when it goes on sale later this year.

 

[skylar2ups]

Looks awesome in both trims... that is a pretty little (mean) thing.

 

[BadBandar]

thats a nice hatch. I doubt its under 30k. VWs is always overpriced.

 

[R-X-R]

look like skunk.,lol.,,.i like it.,.,

 

[mikeyb]

Volkswagen Scirocco R Officially Revealed

 

[mikeyb]

Volkswagen has officially unveiled the highly anticipated 2010 Scirocco R.

Under the hood, the new Scirocco uses a modified version of the previous Golf GTI's 2.0-liter engine which produces 265 hp and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. Power flows to the front wheels through either the standard six-speed manual transmission or the optional dual-clutch DSG gearbox. Thanks to this unique setup, the Scirocco R runs from 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds (6.4 seconds with DSG) before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155mph).


Of course true performance is more than just horsepower, so Volkswagen went to work equipping the R with a variety of upgrades. Among the items engineers included are a lowered sports suspension with more aggressive dampers and springs, an electronic XDS differential and massive 345mm (13.6-inch) front and 310mm (12.2-inch) rear brakes.


As with many hot hatches, VW decided to spruce up the already sexy Scirocco exterior by adding an aggressive front bumper with massive air intakes, LED daytime running lights, new side skirts, a slightly altered grille, and beautiful 18-inch wheels (19-inchers are optional). The sporty styling continues out back as the Scirocco R receives a redesigned rear bumper, a roof spoiler, and darkened tail lights.


The interior also gets a modest makeover thanks to the addition of sporty bucket seats, a redesigned instrument cluster, a flat bottomed steering wheel, and plenty of aluminum trim.


Look for the new Scirocco R to start arriving at European VW dealers this fall.

 

[mikeyb]

Test Drive: VW Scirocco R

The 261bhp R is the ultimate Volkswagen Scirocco. We put it through its paces.

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What is it?<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O itxtvisited="1"></O>
Sister car to the Golf R, the 261bhp Scirocco R is VWs fastest front driver and the flagship of the coupe range. Prices start at 28,295.

Technical highlights?<O itxtvisited="1"></O>
The engines already familiar from the Golf R (where it has another 5bhp) and Leon Cupra R, there are two other features worth mentioning: ACC and XDS. The former is Adaptive Chassis Control, affects the ride and works very well, the latter brakes an inside wheel to reduce torque steer, understeer and tries to mimic an LSD. It doesnt work so well.

Whats it like to drive?<O itxtvisited="1"></O>
Good, but not quite great. Its a lovely car to live with, civilised and harmonious. The engine isnt quite as raspily tuneful here as in the Leon Cupra R, but its just as effective at delivering creamy, constant urge with a tinge of aural enticement. The manual gearbox could do with a tighter, shorter shift.
<O itxtvisited="1"></O>
Although ACC offers three modes, Normal strikes a very good balance between cosset and control. Comfort allows a touch too much damper travel, but Sport is fine when youre pressing on it makes the Scirocco R feel nicely taut. It corners eagerly and even brings the rear into play a little (especially when the tyres are cold I found out), and if you keep your inputs smooth itll carry loads of speed through and out of corners. <O itxtvisited="1"></O>
But it neither enjoys nor rewards being taken by the scruff of the neck and hurled along. It tries to stay with you, but the steering doesnt have such a crisp, feelsome connection with the front end as youd hope and on wet roads at least you quickly trigger the electronic intervention. Even with the ESP switched off the XDS still grabs a wheel to stop it spinning; this in itself isnt undesirable, but it makes you aware the Scirocco R isnt quite the real deal its still a little artificial. With a proper diff, it really could be quite special.

How does it compare?<O itxtvisited="1"></O>
Picking rivals is tricky. Its not going to offer you the same options and entertainment through a corner as a Nissan 370Z, and doesnt have the hardcore front end feel of a Ford Focus RS. Its closest natural rival is probably the Renaultsport Megane 250 - which does have a proper diff and is more fun to punt along. The Golf R with 4wd is arguably a more interesting car, too.

Anything else I need to know?<O itxtvisited="1"></O>
Its five grand more than the 23,540 2.0 TSI GT and although it comes across as a touch more alert and precisely engineered, Im not sure Id spend the extra cash.

evo RATING


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Very well rounded​

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Needs more edge​

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evo SPECIFICATIONS


<TABLE class=tableText border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD vAlign=top width=140 itxtvisited="1">Engine: </TD><TD vAlign=top itxtvisited="1">In-line 4cyl, 1984cc, turbo </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tableText border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD vAlign=top width=140 itxtvisited="1">Max power: </TD><TD vAlign=top itxtvisited="1">261bhp/6000rpm </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tableText border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD vAlign=top width=140 itxtvisited="1">Max torque: </TD><TD vAlign=top itxtvisited="1">258lb ft/2500-5000rpm </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tableText border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD vAlign=top width=140 itxtvisited="1">0 - 60mph: </TD><TD vAlign=top itxtvisited="1">6.3secs (claimed) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tableText border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD vAlign=top width=140 itxtvisited="1">Top speed: </TD><TD vAlign=top itxtvisited="1">155mph (limited) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


[evo]

 

[altspace]

Was reading about this car in my mag last week. Love it. Wonder how those wheels would look on my VW. Hmmmm.

 

[mikeyb]

Autocar Test Drive: VW Scirocco R

For Punchy straight-line pace, well judged mix of ride and handling, practical interior
Against Baggy gearchange, full pricing, restricted rear visibility

Not one but two hot Volkswagen R models have arrived virtually at the same time. One is the Golf R, with all-wheel drive to channel its power to the road. The other is this, the Scirocco R.

Unlike Volkswagens previous R models (such as the Golf R32), these use four-cylinder turbo engines rather than V6s. That means their drivetrain layout is more similar to the models that spawn them in this case the regular Scirocco GT 2.0 TSI than was previously the case.

What impresses us so much about the regular Scirocco is not just how much it does right, but how precious little it does wrong. When we road tested it in September 2008, we were struck by its all-round dynamic ability, coupled to a spaciousness that few cars of its class can match and a price within a whisker of its Golf GTI sister model, despite the coup being a more compelling driving companion.

Question is, though, is the hottest Scirocco more engaging than not only the fastest Golf but also the rest of a very competitive array of hot hatch and small coup rivals?

Volkswagen has made subtle changes to the Sciroccos appearance, enhancing its muscularity without having to make alterations to the metalwork, a task presumably made easier by the fact that it must have known during development of the cooking model that it was later going to produce a hot variant. To our eyes its a successful look but one that will not be hard to replicate for owners of lesser Sciroccos, which cant be said of, say, the Focus RS.

The R sits lower and wider than standard but the difference is in springs and wheels; as with the body, the metalwork of the front MacPherson struts and multi-link rear suspension is unchanged.

Power comes from the VW Groups 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, in what is widely known as S3 form. Its the EA113 engine from the Mk5 Golf GTI rather than the newer EA888 engine that powers the Mk6 GTI. With its strong iron block, this engine is used in all of the groups 2.0-litre turbo cars producing this level of power.

The Scirocco R puts 261bhp and 258lb ft through its front wheels, and does without a mechanical limited-slip differential, instead using VWs XDS electronic diff. Transmission is optionally by DSG dual-clutch box or, as standard and tested here, a six-speed manual.


Dont get hung up on the 0-60mph time. Admittedly our recorded time of 6.5sec doesnt look hugely impressive, but there are a few things you need to understand before dismissing the Scirocco R. First, it faced the worst possible conditions for acceleration runs: not fully wet, but greasy. Second, the Scirocco R tags the limiter in second at 58mph.
Instead, consider the 0-100mph time, which at 13.7sec matches that of the Mgane RS 250. Negate the effect of unfavourable conditions by looking at the 30-100mph interval and the Scirocco R is 0.5sec quicker than the Renault, which is in turn 0.2sec quicker than the Focus RS.
So it is fast, but also flexible. Compared with the regular 2.0-litre TSI Scirocco, which is remarkably linear for a turbocharged engine, there is more a pronounced power band. The boost starts to build from 2200rpm, before really getting into its stride at 2500rpm. And yet the Rs engine remains impressively tractable, producing no histrionics if you slot fifth gear from as low as 20mph.

Similarly, the engine is happy working at the top end of the rev range. Although torque starts dropping off from 5000rpm, and power from 6000rpm, the Scirocco R will happily rev to its 6500rpm red line without ever feeling breathless.

The soundtrack we were less convinced about, initially at least. Compared with the Focus RS, the Scirocco R is somewhat well behaved, with none of the fireworks of the Ford. It has a rather pleasant rasp, and under load from low revs it whooshes a little, but we were expecting more. But then we lived with the Scirocco R for a little longer and its voice started to make sense. There is just enough vocal encouragement to make an occasion out of going quickly, but for the rest of the time it is refined enough to use every day without being tiresome.

So if the Scirocco R blends killer performance with effortless practicality, why not five stars? The brakes are good, with more staying power than the Fords, if less than the Renaults, but the ABS intervention proved slightly juddery in extreme use.

But it is the gearbox that lets the package down. While the spread of ratios is well judged for both urban, cross country and motorway work, the action could be improved. It is not a disaster, but the long lever exaggerates a slight bagginess as each gear slots home. You can, of course, specify the DSG, something neither rival offers.

It would be easy to describe the Scirocco R as a sharper version of the 2.0 GT TSI. But such a description would be to undersell what VW has achieved with this car, because it is also more polished. In terms of sheer lateral grip and agility the regular Scirocco didnt exactly under-impress; what we wanted more of was involvement a greater sense of interaction with the car, but without losing the suppleness and comfort that makes the Scirocco such a good long-distance proposition. A tall order, perhaps, but as VW has shown, not one that is impossible to deliver.

Even pottering around at urban speeds, the R version feels more keyed into the road than the GT, with a greater keenness to turn, more front-end bite and a more delicate balance between the front and rear axles. Although it isnt, the R feels like a lighter car than the GT, and more analogue in the way it responds.

Does it need a proper LSD? To completely win over the most focused hot hatch fans it probably does. Clever though the electronics are, they cannot match a mechanical diffs ability to channel power to the road exiting tight corners, or imitate the way it allows a driver to use more throttle to pull the car into a bend. Try that in the Scirocco R and all you get is understeer.

Adaptive Chassis Control is standard on the R, meaning a choice of three modes (Comfort, Normal and Sport), each altering the dampers, steering map and throttle response.

In truth Normal is perfectly fine for most conditions and, as you would expect, offers the best trade-off in comfort and composure. There is a little pitter-patter over smaller bumps, but nothing you couldnt live with.
Unusually for such a system, the Sport setting is not so extreme that it cant be used on the road. Obviously there is some degradation in ride quality, but not to the point that it is uncomfortable. And yet we didnt linger in Sport, partly because Normal offers more than enough control and precision, but also because Sport beefs up the steering weight to beyond the point that feels natural.

That said, this is one of the better electric steering systems (if not as good as the Fords) with reasonable feel and (in Normal) natural weighting over a broad spectrum of speeds.


If we had to criticise the regular Sciroccos interior, wed say that, while it is an inviting place to sit, it looks a little to indistinct and conservative for such an apparently sporting car.

While it would be unfair to expect VW to make substantial changes to the interior of the R model, in a way the same largely still holds true. Perhaps the Scirocco is a victim of being a stand-alone model; we wouldnt necessarily say the same of the Focus RS or Renaultsport Mgane as they are in a hatchback line-up. Its just that when the outside looks so splendid, wed like the interior to match.

Other highlights reserved for the R include aluminium inserts in the instruments resplendent with an R logo and a smattering of high-gloss black accents. Volkswagen has taken nothing away from the functionality of the cabin, though; it is laid out with all the thought and clarity youd expect of Volkswagen.

The R receives new Recaro seats: theyre even better than the excellent standard ones and dont totally destroy room in the rear so often an afterthought in these types of cars, but seemingly given somewhat higher priority in the Scirocco. The rear seats split and fold and, coupled to a decent boot (albeit with a small opening), make the Scirocco R a surprisingly practical car.

Theres quite a leap within the Scirocco range from the rest of the line-up, which peaks at 23,540, and the R at 28,295. That also puts it well above the likes of the Renault Mgane 250, and even more than the Ford Focus RS, whose price has inflated to 27,575 during the past year.
Neither, in terms of everyday comfort and convenience items, does the Scirocco come notably better equipped than either of these. We suspect that because other models in the Scirocco range border at times on being a veritable bargain, VW is asking this kind of premium on the Scirocco R because it can.

In its defence, its residual values will look after you; its unique among hot hatch rivals in that itll retain more than 50 per cent of its value over three years/60,000 miles, while servicing costs in that time are predicted to be far cheaper than those of the Renault or Ford. Its CO2 figure undercuts its rivals, too, while we averaged a creditable 28.0mpg over a long run.

So is the Scirocco a hot hatch or a four-seat coup? It certainly has the ingredients to cut it as a hot hatch, mixing incredible performance, front-wheel drive and everyday practicality. But compared with the most focused rivals, the Scirocco doesnt offer quite the precision or excitement to outclass the Focus RS or Mgane RS as a pure drivers tool.

But it does get mighty close, especially considering its strengths in other areas. If you asked which wed take for a lap of the Nordschleife, it would be the Ford or Renault, but to live with and drive for a month, a year or three years it would be the VW.

So perhaps we should be asking how it stacks up as a coup, against the likes of BMWs 135i Coup or Nissan 370Z. Especially given that the Scirocco Rs pricing puts it square in reach of such competitors. You know what? Wed still rather have the VW.

[autocar]

 

[Kymerik]

yum yum...what i would do to that car....

 

[Donas64]

I love the car but at close to 44K, I can't justify the price. The Mazdaspeed 3 (or 3MPS as it's known across the pond) is every bit the equal of this car (except in styling perhaps) and undercuts it in price by a crazy margin. VW needs to get real with the pricing of the R models.

 

[mikeyb]

I love the car but at close to 44K, I can't justify the price. The Mazdaspeed 3 (or 3MPS as it's known across the pond) is every bit the equal of this car (except in styling perhaps) and undercuts it in price by a crazy margin. VW needs to get real with the pricing of the R models.

That is not in Dollars.

 

[Donas64]

That is not in Dollars.

I used a pounds to dollars converter. I know it's not totally accurate. How much do you think it would cost if it came over there? I'm guessing over 30K. When you have Evos and STI's touching 40K now, it's crazy. The MS3 is like the last bastion for cheap speed (with a dash of refinement).

 

[mikeyb]

I used a pounds to dollars converter. I know it's not totally accurate. How much do you think it would cost if it came over there? I'm guessing over 30K. When you have Evos and STI's touching 40K now, it's crazy. The MS3 is like the last bastion for cheap speed (with a dash of refinement).

I am thinking 30K to 35K. That is where the last two R32s were priced at.

 

[Kymerik]

theres no way VAG would try to sell that thing for more than 35k

 

[mikeyb]

Test Drive: VW Scirocco R Cup CNG

We travel to Germany to try out VW's eco-racer, a modified Scirocco R that runs exclusively on compressed natural gas.

If BlueMotions not exciting enough for you, the Scirocco R Cup could be the green Volkswagen to get you fired up! Created for the firms latest one-make racing championship, the R Cup is based on the road-going Scirocco R, but is powered by compressed natural gas.

The racers bio-CNG is refined from organic waste, which means that, including transportation and logistics, the CO2 produced by the 24 cars over a 10-race series is 80 per cent lower than it would be with petrol power.

Visually, the only clue to the Cups unique fuel is the large 22kg CNG tank sat in the centre of the car. Under the bonnet is the same 2.0-litre TSI engine found in the standard Scirocco R, while power is delivered to the road via the established DSG twin-clutch transmission.

The standard dashboard remains unaltered and, uniquely for a racer, you even get a drivers airbag. The safety roll cage and motorsport seat ensure the driver is properly protected, while the small display behind the wheel provides shift lights and lap-time information.

Once on the move, the Cup feels similar to the R road car although the far stiffer suspension prevents body roll, and slick tyres increase grip. To keep things simple, only the tyre pressures and anti-roll bars can be adjusted.

With little cabin insulation and a throaty exhaust, the R Cup sounds more exciting than the showroom car but, with 222bhp, the racer actually has 39bhp less power. However, a push-to-pass button which can be pressed between 10 and 15 times, depending on the circuit delivers a short-term 49bhp boost to help overtaking, so it feels faster.

[autoexpress]
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