You are not allowed to own the third generation Volkswagen Scirocco in U.S.A. Since its introduction in 2008, the importation of Scirocco will not be legal for another decade (to 2033). And yet, this 2008 Volkswagen Scirocco is in the US. More specifically, it’s in San Francisco. And it’s not just for sale on Cars & Bid, but you can also register it legally. Accused.
As Doug Demuro explains in the video below, the owner bought the new Scirocco in Europe and stripped it off so he could import the bodywork and interior as car parts, not cars. He then sent it along with his 2008 Volkswagen R32 to HPA Motorsports in Canada, where they put the Scirocco bodywork on the R32. So you have an R32 powered Scirocco that is technically legal to own and drive in the US
But HPA doesn’t stop there. They’ve also added a twin turbocharger that boosts power to 565 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque if you use racing gas. It also has new wheels, brakes, suspension and hydraulic nose lift. This is not some random custom shop that throws random upgrades at a car to make it run faster. This is HPA, one of the world’s leading Volkswagen tuners. It can cost owners more than $100,000, but the end result is a car you barely know has been modified if it hasn’t been lowered.
And while Doug’s video of the Franken-Scirocco deals with the car’s performance, The Smoking Tire also got the chance to drive it in the canyon to really see how it handles.. As it turned out, it drove excellently. It was almost factory-built by Volkswagen to run so fast. Except, you know, it’s not. Because it’s two cars from two different continents merged into one.
Can you buy a used Lamborghini for the money this thing would probably sell for? Sure. But any rich person can buy a Lamborghini. Why wouldn’t you want to spend your money on the only third-generation Volkswagen Scirocco in the US instead? It’s really something interesting and special.
