Published:
4 May 2012Volkswagen has made subtle changes to the Scirocco’s 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 it’s a successful look but one that will not be hard to replicate for owners of lesser Sciroccos. 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 originally came from the VW Group’s EA113 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, in what is widely known as ‘S3’ form. In 2014, Volkswagen gave the Scirocco a facelift and gave the R a bit more power by installing the more commonly found 2.0-litre TSI EA888 engine the same as the Mk7 Golf R.
The Scirocco R puts 276bhp and 258lb ft through its front wheels, and does without a mechanical limited-slip differential, instead using VW’s XDS electronic diff. Transmission is optionally by DSG dual-clutch ’box or, as standard and tested here, a six-speed manual.
