A famous nameplate from Volkswagen's past could be revived in 2008. A new coupe based on the high-performance Golf R32's running gear could be called Scirocco, reviving a name last seen in the mid-1980s on a previous Golf-based coupe.
The new coupe, whose top-line model would have the R32's 247-horsepower, V6 engine and all-wheel drive, will take its styling from the Concept R coupe at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show but not the Concept R's midengined layout. The new Scirocco will have a standard Golf-style, front-engined layout.
The new car is being designed by VW design boss Murat Gunak, creator of the Mercedes-Benz SLR, and by Peter Schreyer, VW head of advanced design, who formerly headed Audi's design team. The car will be a 2+2 rather than a four-seater — that job already is handled by VW's new Eos model. In addition to the V6 version of the new Scirocco, it will get a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter version using the Golf GTI's powertrain.
If VW doesn't call the new car Scirocco, it could get a new name — Rivo — according to AutoWeek magazine.
Volkswagen is considering reviving another name, Corrado, for its planned Passat-based four-door coupe. The original Corrado, which was killed off in the late 1990s, was a two-door coupe that replaced the Scirocco.
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