Car design is a constant struggle between functionality, performance, cost, and beauty. The silver Scirocco, to my mind, strikes a very good balance. If you’re the kind of buyer who likes German sedans, which are among the ugliest vehicles on the road, then this rendering of the silver Scirocco should be a supermodel in your eyes. This rendering is DEFINITELY NOT “pathetic” or “boring”, but let’s hold final judgement after we test drive it. Sure, the red rendering was arguably more beautiful, but the silver Scirocco is definitely more useable with the larger hatch and cargo space, too. This extra practicality will increase sales, and it won’t degrade its performance, folks!

In my opinion, the biggest challenges for VW will be:
1) To differentiate this car from the GTI, R32, and upcoming Volvo C30, the Scirocco must be sleeker and lighter, with better chassis balance. (A true sporting car should have 50-55% of its weight over the rear tires.) It looks like VW is partly there. Yes, front overhand should be minimized, but even better, configure it to be rear wheel drive like the much-missed Porsche 944/968!!!

2) The flowing Alfa Romeo Brera silhouette and the Honda S2000 headlamps may not be entirely original (few things are in the automotive world!), but they are very attractive and timeless. The huge front grill and oft-mentioned front overhang might be considered a drawback, but looks can be deceiving and everyone has his own taste. At least this rendering indicates that the openings are not all laden with ugly chrome. VW must get the sporting look right.

3. Looks are nothing without affordability and real-world useability. Ladening the Scirocco with expensive gadgets, especially troublesome and annoying ones such as BMW and Mercedes have done of late, will drive many would-be buyers to Honda or Subaru dealerships. Similarly, overpricing or undersizing it will deflate sales too. If this is going to be a successful hatchback, it needs better quality and performance than the late Mercedes C320, at a much better price.

4. My suspicion is that the Scirocco will have the same chassis and major mechanical specifications as the new Audi TT, with lesser grade materials to save costs. If people don’t like the VW styling, then spend the extra money for the Audi. But when benchmarking cost, quality, and performance, VW better not think that the Scirocco’s competition is Swedish or German. The real challengers are the WRX, Civic Si, etc.

I was all excited about the same type of concept Auto Bild had for the new TT, and was considering that until the real thing came out – I think its way off the mark.
VW should immediately hire the person who did the Red Scirocco concept ant the similarly styled TT!

The overhang of the silver one is gross, and Audis moving of the engine back is NOT for transverse layouts – only the longitudinal ones like the A4 and A6. Since the VW’s are transverse, shouldn’t mean anything for them unless they come up with other tricks.

Jon.