With the release of the 2009 Scirocco (in concept guise here as the Iroc), VW plans to recapture the cult following it had in the '70s. See more pictures of Volkswagen cars.

Volkswagen's Scirocco is coming back--but not to the U.S. Too bad. The reborn Rabbit-based sporty coupe should be a genuine European driving machine at a tempting price.

What We Know About the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco

Volkswagen is prepping a new compact sporty coupe that should be a strong showroom draw for VW dealers everywhere. Yet the company's U.S. branch won't be selling the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco. Why? Because VW already has a sporty Rabbit-based hatchback, the GTI, and U.S. execs fear the Scirocco would steal GTI sales, which are not huge anyway. "We don't want it," as Volkswagen of America chief Adrian Hallmark told AutoWeek magazine. "The GTI is iconic--it's as strong a name as the Beetle. It is economically suicidal for us to risk the sales volume and the potential for the GTI." Maybe so, but the new Scirocco would be so different that it might easily generate "plus business" instead.

Price may be the elephant in this room. The 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco will be built only in Germany, and U.S. marketers likely calculated that high labor costs and a strong euro would make for another VW that buyers would think too expensive. (Remember VW's ill-starred Phaeton luxury sedan?) GTIs are built in Germany too, but can also be sourced from plants in lower-cost countries to offset price pressure from a weak dollar/euro exchange. No matter. If you live here and want to drive a 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco, you'll have to go to Europe.

It might be worth the trip. Like the original 1974-1982 Scirocco and the successor Corrado, the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco is basically a high-style hunkered-down version of the GTI, already one of the best fun cars around. The new one is patterned on a 2006 concept design called IROC (not for the International Race of Champions but as in "scIROCco") The for-sale version is expected to be very similar. Against the current GTI, the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco will thus sit a couple inches lower and wider on a slightly longer wheelbase, all of which should enhance both cornering ability and ride comfort. Styling is more muscular, too, with a gaping grille, swept-back headlamps, a strong front-to-rear "shoulder line," and a distinctive two-door "breadvan" profile a la Volvo's new C30. The IROC wore 20-inch wheels for drama, but sources expect Sciroccos to wear more-practical 17s and 18s.

The 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco will likely offer three engine choices. The base unit would be VW's 1.4-liter "Twincharger" four-cylinder that uses both a supercharger and turbocharger to make around 210 horsepower. The GTI's 2.0-liter tubocharged four will be the step-up option, and stepped up for the Scirocco from 200 to around 240 horsepower. Also expected is a 3.6-liter V-6 option with 280 horsepower, likely channeled through standard all-wheel drive. Other models will be front-wheel drive. All engines should team with a six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed sequential manual with automatic shift mode.

VW wasn't very specific about the IROC, but the new Scirocco should offer most all GTI standard and optional features--except a four-door body style, of course--plus unique interior trim. In all, the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco shapes up as a very tempting package. A good many "sports compact" fans no doubt hope that VW of America will think again and bring the new "Rocco" here after all. We sure do.

Though the Iroc wore 20-inch wheels for drama, sources expect more practical 17s and 18s upon release.

VW's first sporty coupe appeared way back in 1955 with the stylish Karmann-Ghia, based on the iconic rear-engine Beetle. The Scirocco launched in 1974 as the K-G's eventual replacement, and as the second "new era" VW with front-wheel drive and a front-mounted water-cooled engine. It earned something of a cult following in America, thanks in part to crisp "flying doorstop" styling by renowned Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The enthusiasm was remarkable in light of many woes that afflicted these and other early front-drive VWs, though the troubles were perhaps predictable after years of building the much simpler Beetle. A heavier, redesigned Scirocco arrived in 1982 with somewhat lumpier styling by VW's own staff, and sales declined through decade's end. VW started over with the 1990 Corrado, a trimmer, tauter coupe with an interesting supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Sales remained underwhelming, but the Corrado got a second chance in 1992 by introducing VW's revvy narrow-angle "VR6" engine. The transplant transformed the car, but induced a terminal case of sticker shock, so the Corrado left the U.S. after 1994, though production continued a while for Europe and other markets. VW then forgot sporty coupes altogether while raking in big money with that pioneering "hot hatch," the stealthy Rabbit-based GTI. The 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco is thus the company's first sports coupe in some 20 years.

Buying Advice for the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco

Word is that VW plans to build only 60,000 new Sciroccos for worldwide sale each year--not a lot, when you think about it. A determined American might own one as a "private import." This means buying the car in Europe (or maybe Canada), paying to have it shipped home, then paying for "compliance" modifications that will be required for legal registration and licensing. The last will involve certification and/or replacement of things like emissions-control components, headlights and taillamps, mirrors and such. At least compliance shouldn't be a huge or costly issue with a 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco, as the model was designed for U.S. laws in the first place. Keep in mind, though, that all you'll have is a special but very expensive VW that U.S. dealers may not want to service. Blame the lawyers again.

2009 Volkswagen Scirocco Release Date: European sales should start in mid-to late 2008.

First Test Drive: We won't get one on U.S. soil, but we're hoping for an invite to the European press preview, which should happen by spring 2008.

2009 Volkswagen Scirocco Prices: One source predicted $26,000 to start in base trim, presumably for the U.S. market. But the final figure would likely have been somewhere north of that, as the dollar looks to keep on weakening for a while. Oh, well...

VW plans to build only 60,000 new Sciroccos each year forcing American buyers to purchase in Europe or Canada and pay to have it shipped to the States.

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