Exciting prospect ahoy! - even though nothing has been confirmed by VW at this stage - as the rumour mill is spinning off its very axis over the possibility of the Volkswagen Scirocco being reinvented as an EV in the not too distant future.
Long sentence. Even longer odds.
But you never know.
Especially if Veedub's new design chief gets his way (more of which later).
Word is that any future 'Rocco EV could/might/possibly/potentially/ even share a cross-fertalisational platform with an impending Porsche Boxster/Cayman, Cupra Dark Rebel and fourth-gen Audi TT.
(image rights/courtesy of www.autocar.co.uk)
According To Who, If Not Volkswagen?...
The source of this speculation is one of the most reliable ones in the automotive world.
Namely, www.autocar.co.uk.
Who itself has this conjecture on very good authority; as relayed by a senior figure at Volkswagen. So as to put some perspective on what detractors may otherwise see as nothing else but well-meaning tittle-tattle.
Although it’s not the first time that a Chinese whisper suggested that the Scirocco could be reborn as an EV. That being said, Autocar’s visions are preferable to Auto Express’ graphic tip-off in 2017.
After The Who Said What And When, What Exactly Are We Looking At Here?
A future-proof ‘Rocco that visually harks back to the halcyon days of the original 1970’s Scirocco.
That’s what.
And that’s a serious LOT.
And yes.
We’re totally down with all this should it come to actual fruition, as we LOVE the plethora of retro-future coupe concepts coming thick and fast these days.
In places which aren’t just obscure internet forums and/or AI-generated mock-up Insta accounts originated by people with too much time on their hands, and who seldom see the light of day.
Now, bear with us.
As the words ‘possibly, proposed’ and ‘potential’ are recurrent themes throughout this blog, as we can’t stress enough how NOT real/confirmed a ‘leccy ‘Rocco is at this juncture.
Just to reiterate.
So expect the above examples as alternate prefixes from hereon in.
(image: Hyundai N Vision 74)
We Blame Hyundai, Personally
We blame Hyundai personally.
For kicking off this whole future-retro coupe theme with its bodacious Hyundai N Vision 74 concept which did the rounds last summer.
Which looked like it was the manifestation of the frenzied sketching of an enthusiastic art school student who had pored over their dad’s Classic Coupe’s back catalogue of periodical publications from way back when.
Only no magazine of that title actually existed to the best of our knowledge/extensive researching, so we're just flexing it for artistic licence.
(image: Peugeot e-Legend coupe)
While it may be a tad off-brand, there’s no denying the staggering beauty of this DeLorean-inspired future flashback, though.
Nor also the Peugeot e-Legend concept.
An equally traffic-stoppingly handsome boxy coupe which echoes Audi’s original Quattro coupe UR in the way that it appeals to our collective sense of taste and decency.
And overtly angular stance.
(image: EL1 AG)
On which note, there’s also EL1 AG’s breathtakingly gorgeous homage to the iconic Audi UR Coupe in the form of its E-Legend too.
Not to be confused with the aforementioned Peugeot futureproof flashback.
There’s a sort of Ready Player One vibe to all three visions which seductively captures an ocular grasp of our collective automotively dystopian futures.
Which clearly Veedub has suddenly got down with for its part too.
(image: Mk1 Volkswagen Scirocco)
And Then There’s The ‘Rocco EV Illustrative Renderings….
So, much excitement is surrounding these first artist impressions of how an EV-powered Volkswagen Scirocco for a new generation might appear.
Thanks to Autocar's scoop.
Oh, and there’s one of those words; ‘might’ again.
But fear not, as the omens are incredibly encouraging.
Ergo, rather than purely a flight of fancy, what you see could realistically be what we get in the foreseeable.
Bit like the first gen Audi TT.
Which leapt from the screen to reality with the most minimal of design tweaks, if you recall.
(image: first-gen VW Scirocco)
Wait. Isn’t The New Man With The Crayons At VW A 70’s Coupe Aficionado?
Precisely that.
The biggest pointer to EV coupe life (possibly) imitating Scirocco art sometime soon is the fact that VW’s new Head of Design is very much on board with the idea.
Indeed, Andreas Mindt has wasted no time in overseeing some rough drafts for a proposed fourth-generation Scirocco since taking over the creative hotseat last year.
Pretty much what you visually see hereabouts.
And he certainly has pedigree.
While being Bentley’s design head honcho in a previous guise brings much kudos in its own right, Mindt has a pleasing habit of talking up Giorgetto Guigiaro’s Mk1 Scirocco launched in 1974.
A topic he’s been caught romanticising about in recent history; and which subsequently might be interpreted via the keen aesthetic vibes of future Veedub models.
Why Do We Care?
Because we all know the first-gen Volkswagen Scirocco is arguably one of the most handsome cars that the Wolfsburg outfit has ever created.
Testifying to this very notion, Mindt has gone on record as saying (and we quote from other sources); “The Scirocco was among the first cars to use a sharp and low lines to visually enhance the car and make it appear lower,” going on to add; “It’s a stylistic trick to reduce volume and results in a more powerful and sporting stance.”
He concluded his Mk1 ‘Rocco love-in by saying; “That’s the secret sauce that makes a car desirable; a stylish car that everyone wants to drive.”
All of which lyrical waxing augurs well, and amounts to much more than just hyperbole and wishful thinking.
(image: Volkswagen Scirocco R)
When Might We Expect A Fourth-gen Scirocco EV To Drop?
If/when/should a fully EV Scirocco Mk4 be revealed through a shroud of dry ice an against the aural backdrop of Vangelis then that year is predicted to be the year of our lord and saviour, 2028.
Or rather, that’s the date being provisionally pencilled in for the potential release of this (possibly) dual-motored, four-wheel-drive R flagship statement coupe.
Whilst it all remains purely speculative during the time it’s taken you to read this blog, in terms of actual facts and figures, industry insiders believe that such an electrically-powered Scirocco would find a 300bhp single motor as an entry level offering.
Escalating still further to accommodate a dual-motor version with the voltage-crafted means to emit some 400bhp. And ultimately proving a worthy successor to the very lively (yet now tragically discontinued) Scirocco R.
Let’s just keep our fingers crossed, eh…..
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