Volkswagen Future

Volkswagen will undoubltedly be a major automotive player in the not too-distant future. From Volkswagen's begginnings with the Beetle, one might expect the company to use a humble approach to making cars. This was true a long time ago, but today, the company is as modern as any, and has its sights set on new terretory.

The Volkswagen Scirocco, a revival VW nameplate which first surfaced at the 2006 Paris Motor Show in the form of the IROC Concept, has been the subject of much speculation since the concept debuted. These latest spyshots confirm that the IROC's large trapezoidal grille will make it onto the production car -- part of its outline can be seen through the heavy camouflage.
The hatchback shape of the rear belies the common designation of the Scirocco as a coupe - though the term has seemingly evolved into a catch-all for any car with a sharply sloped roof. A hardtop coupe/convertible built using hardware from the Eos is widely rumored to be the car's other variant.

Of course, the illustrations pictured of the coupe/convertible are still speculation based on the spied vehicle and available intel, but if proven accurate, foretell an aggressive and attractive-looking car.

Powertrain options are still up in the air as well. The much-maligned 2.5-liter inline-five probably won't see duty in the Scirocco, with the base engine in Europe likely to be the 1.4-liter Twincharger. A performance version powered by the automaker's ubiquitous 2.0-liter turbo four is probably in the plans, as well as numerous diesel powerplants.

The jury is still out on whether Volkswagen will sell the Scirocco stateside and in what form if it did. This Arizona-plated mule is a positive indication of a possible U.S. version, but the question of where the Scirocco fits into VW's lineup remains. Depending on the engine, the hatchback coupe would be muscling in on the territory of the Rabbit and GTI. The hardtop coupe/convertible is probably the easier sell in the U.S., as it could be marketed as a sportier and less feminine alternative to the Eos.

The hatchback is expected to go on sale in Europe sometime in 2008, likely as a 2009 model, with the coupe/convertible possibly arriving a year later.

Volkswagen looks to be one of the leaders when it comes to innovative cars of the future.

Volkswagen History

Today, Volkswagen is the largest automaker in Europe. However, it has not always been this way...

Literally, the word "volkswagen" means "people's car." In Germany, the idea of a people's car wasn't exactly a new one. Before the 1930's, there had been many efforts to create simple cars that everyone could afford, but none met with profound success. Almost all cars before 1930, even if they were designed to be simple enough for the average person, ended up costing more than the average worker's yearly wage.

Meanwhile, the year is 1930, and Ferdinand Porsche had just set up an automotive design company, which became known as the Porsche Büro. The company patented a sophisticated independent front suspension system, which consisted of transversely mounted torsion bars connected to two trailing arms on each side. At the time, this was lighter than most other common types of suspension. In 1931, a German motorcycle company, Zündapp, asked Porsche if he could design a suitable car for them. Porsche came up with a streamlined 2 door sedan, which had lines similar to the Beetle. It was designated the Type 12. Zündapp wanted to put in a 1.2 liter radial engine from one of their motorcycles...this was the end of the line for this design, as it didn't make it any further.

Porsche then designed a car for NSU in 1933 that was known as the Type 32. This car looked even more similar to the upcoming KdF Wagen than the Type 12 did. This car looked similar to the Tatra V570, and shared many mechanical similarities. After World War II, the Volkswagen company paid Tatra for compensation, since Tatra believed its technology and design was pirated in development of the KdF Wagen. Eventaully, NSU dropped the Type 32 project.