New car news

26 May 2008 - 15:00

Rolling ’Roc

The Worthersee meet just keeps getting better and better.

Not to be outdone by Audi's A3 and TT Clubsports, VW has just unveiled a road version of the Scirocco racer set to compete at the Nurburgring this weekend.

Called the Scirocco GT24, it's a fully-working concept powered by - yes, you guessed it - VW's two-litre TFSI engine.

Bumped up to 296bhp, it sounds remarkably close to the engine in the Audi TT Clubsport, but instead of feeding all four wheels, all that power goes to the front wheels through a six-speed DSG 'box.

The transmission has been bulked up with new clutchplates, and it also gets race-spec gear ratios and a lightened flywheel.

That's not the only part that's been lightened. The GT24 weighs in some 180kg lighter than the standard Scirocco, and gets a proper stripped-out racing cabin, complete with racing buckets, Recaro seats and five-point harnesses. There's also plenty of carbon fibre and a hopefully-ornamental fire extinguisher.

Externally, the GT24 is near-identical to the 'Ring-bound racing Scirocco. The spoilered, finned bodyshell is 23cm longer and six centimetres wider than the garden Scirocco, incorporating wider arches and a deep splitter at the front. The GT24 has been dropped eight centimetres on its suspension and features adjustable race dampers, too.

So will they build it?

We're not holding our breath for a production road-racer, but VW says that the GT24 could point to an 'R' edition of the Scirocco.

If it looks half as lairy as this, we'll be happy.