Driven: VW Scirocco R Line

Driven: VW Scirocco R Line:

We’re happily cruising at a steady 100 mph. It’s Sunday evening and the traffic is relatively light. A Mercedes passes and as the driver pulls in front of me I see there’s nobody else coming up behind and the road ahead looks clear. I floor the gas pedal and it shifts down a gear and the car seems to launch itself. In no time I’m past the Mercedes and the speedo indicates we’re doing 200. Okay that’s not 200 mph it’s just 200 kph — only 125 mph. Nevertheless the VW Scirocco I’m driving is performing well. It’s stable and it feels fine at 125 mph.

I’m not so sure about myself though. I’m driving at night on an unfamiliar autobahn in Northern Germany. It’s great to be cruising legally at 125 mph but it sure does take some concentration. After a few miles I idle back to a more comfortable 100 mph again. Pretty soon though the traffic starts to get heavier and the variable speed signs lower the speed limit to 130 kph — just over 80 mph.

The joys of driving in Germany.

I was driving a VW Scirocco R-line. It’s a little confusing as it’s not quite an R. It has the body mods and the wheels of a Scirocco R but it lacks the 261 hp engine, the twin exhausts and the race tuned suspension. Instead the same 2.0-liter TSI engine powers it but pumping out just 210 hp. Still it’s more than sufficient to give the two-door coupe a good turn of speed. Unlike the Golf R, which has all-wheel-drive, the Scirocco R and R-Line come only with FWD. That’s fine in dry conditions but it’s easy to spin the front wheels and hear the horrible clonking noise as the traction control comes into play. Plus there is some torque steer.

I like the looks of the Scirocco, especially from the rear three-quarter – it’s got a nice wide stance. Inside you’d think you were in a Golf, at least from the B-pillar forward. Rear seats are inevitably cramped and trunk space is tight.

My driving was limited to autobahn and some city driving in pouring rain. Surprisingly, since most Europeans opt for manuals, the loan car was fitted with a DSG transmission. Having driven the Golf R I’d honestly opt for it over the Scirocco – it is more practical, it has all-wheel-drive and, in the US at least, it is only available with a manual transmission.

Related posts:

1. 100,000th Scirocco Blows In
2. Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R
3. Driven: 2012 Volkswagen CC Lux Limited

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