VW Scirocco R 2009 2017
WHILE THE MK6 and Mk7 Golf R entered the market with all LEDs blazing, the sleeker, more aggressive Scirocco R somehow slipped in under cover of darkness.
These days, the Scirocco R is about £4k cheaper than a comparable Golf R, and lower demand means it’s a buyer’s market. Early cars from around 2010 can be had for under £11k, but Andrew Chapple of used VW Group specialists Volkswizard notes that standard spec wasn’t generous, leaving many used examples on 18-inch alloys with cloth upholstery and no sat-nav.
A facelift for 2015 brought 19in wheels, sat-nav and heated leather as standard. Less welcome was the pod of gauges mounted awkwardly at the top of the dash. Power also increased by 15bhp to 276bhp but, unlike the Golf, the Scirocco never did trade up to the EA888 engine, and always remained front-wheel drive. This configuration contributes to the coupe’s lighter, feistier character.
The car we’ve photographed is for sale at Volkswizard, a tidy one-owner facelift with 23,000 miles for £19k. R production stopped only recently, so there are still some delivery-mileage examples advertised for £27k.
The R is a engaging drive, offering a usable blend of agility and comfort – thanks to standard adaptive dampers – and a feisty 2.0-litre turbo engine that’s probably best combined with the punchy DSG dual-clutch transmission, though there’s nothing wrong with the standard manual. An electronic differential ably checks wheelspin.
Inside, the interior is in another league from rivals like the outgoing Megane RS, with better-quality plastics, fantastic ribbed-leather bucket seats up front, and a pair of individual perches in the rear.
If you want the next best thing to an R on a budget, the 2.0 TSI R-Line looks identical save for the badges and exhaust, with a Golf GTI-like 207bhp. Budget £14k or so. VW also offered the Scirocco with 1.4 petrol and 2.0 turbodiesel engines. We found early examples of both from £5k, generally with at least 90k miles, but the Scirocco is at its best with 2.0 litres of petrol power.