29 Sep 06 17:14
Volkswagen's Paris Motor Show star is the Iroc, a low and curvy concept that previews its reborn Scirocco - VW's 1974-81 Golf-based coupe.
The Iroc is a compact coupe which shares much of its underpinnings with the current Mk5 Golf. Like the Giugiaro-designed original it's a full four-seater with a hatchback-style rear and a proper boot, developed to be a practical, usable sports car. It's slightly longer and wider than the Golf at 4240mm long, 1800mm wide and 1400mm tall, with a 2680mm wheelbase; the rear seats can be folded flat and the boot offers over 300 litres of load space even with the seats in place.
The Iroc is the precursor to a real-life production car, and though it hasn't yet been officially confirmed, we hear that VW's factory in Setubal, Portugal, is to start building it in late 2007 for sales from early 2008. Volkswagen describes it as 'a possible series-production vehicle' which will 'be very attractively positioned in terms of price'.
This show car is finished in lurid 'viper green' metallic paint with black detailing, carbon-surfaced side sills and roof frame, and a dark-tinted glass roof panel; the black roof pillars and long roof make it look longer and lower than it actually is. Bright touches include the aluminium-look grille surrounds, and it sits on 19" wheels.
On the inside, the cabin previews a few neat new developments, such as a gear lever that lies flush in the centre console until the ignition is turned, at which point it moves into a usable position; should be an effective anti-theft measure. It's styled to resemble a racing-car cockpit, with front bucket seats, five-point harness seatbelts and large blue-glowing instrument dials, plus a painted dashboard, retro toggle switches and hexagonal air vents.
The prototype features Volkswagen's new TSI twin-charger engine combining a supercharger and turbocharger, in this case developing 210bhp and fitted in combination with the DSG semi-auto gearbox. Volkswagen says that 'in principle, a large range of supercharged engines are conceivable for the Iroc that could start significantly under 150bhp. But there's one thing every engine theoretically employed in the Iroc has to guarantee: driving fun.'
