Photo: Moises de Alencar
For all its talk about putting millions of EVs on the road by 2025, Volkswagen is yet to launch a truly modern battery-powered car. All you can get at the moment from a VW dealership is either an e-Golf or an e-Up, and they're both pretty weak.
The ID.3 should change that, but thanks to the pandemic the launch has been pushed back to September. The ID.3 is the first model to use the MEB platform, Volkswagen's modular architecture developed specifically for EVs, which means it'll be able to take full advantage of the possibilities opened up by the use electric propulsion: most importantly, it'll have a big cabin while retaining Golf-like exterior dimensions.
What it'll also have is a very cutesy exterior design. You probably won't hear anyone say the ID.3 looks bad, but it does lack even the tiniest amount of aggression or sportiness. Granted, the ID.3 doesn't come with the same performance-oriented mindset as a Tesla Model 3, but look at the recently unveiled Cupra el-Born: it's essentially an ID.3 in a tracksuit, and it fits it just fine.
Rumors say Volkswagen will release an R version later on, and it'll be interesting to see what stylistic changes the extra performance will impose on the electric hatchback. Whatever they will be, though, we bet they won't make the ID.3 look nearly as cool as this electric Scirocco rendering from Moises de Alencar.
Hearing the Scirocco nameplate will have a lot of fans raise their ears in anticipation. Volkswagen rebooted the moniker in the early 2000s, only to drop it again after just one generation. Despite the more dynamic design, the car was considered not different enough from a Golf, so people preferred the added practicality of having a full set of doors and a more spacious interior and trunk.
However, now might just be the perfect time for a revival, and this might just be the perfect design for it. Think about it: Volkswagen wants to build a street going EV that captures the performance of its ID.R race car. Its plan is to use the ID.3 R for it, but the bulky body of the tall hatchback can't pretend to be sports car no matter how much you slam the suspension and how many aero elements you slap on it.
A Scirocco, on the other hand, would be just perfect. With the proper powertrain, it should have no problem lining up alongside Tesla's Model 3 in a drag race and put on a decent fight. It would act like a perfect marketing tool for VW, much more effective than the ID.R could ever be because people would be able to buy it.
There's a reason Tesla offloads cars by the bucket-load, and it's not just their range and Elon Musk's charms: it's the performance too. People may not need it, but it's nice to know you have the bragging rights. So, how about it, Volkswagen? Build an electric Scirocco. You know you want it, and we sure do as well.
What it'll also have is a very cutesy exterior design. You probably won't hear anyone say the ID.3 looks bad, but it does lack even the tiniest amount of aggression or sportiness. Granted, the ID.3 doesn't come with the same performance-oriented mindset as a Tesla Model 3, but look at the recently unveiled Cupra el-Born: it's essentially an ID.3 in a tracksuit, and it fits it just fine.
Rumors say Volkswagen will release an R version later on, and it'll be interesting to see what stylistic changes the extra performance will impose on the electric hatchback. Whatever they will be, though, we bet they won't make the ID.3 look nearly as cool as this electric Scirocco rendering from Moises de Alencar.
Hearing the Scirocco nameplate will have a lot of fans raise their ears in anticipation. Volkswagen rebooted the moniker in the early 2000s, only to drop it again after just one generation. Despite the more dynamic design, the car was considered not different enough from a Golf, so people preferred the added practicality of having a full set of doors and a more spacious interior and trunk.
However, now might just be the perfect time for a revival, and this might just be the perfect design for it. Think about it: Volkswagen wants to build a street going EV that captures the performance of its ID.R race car. Its plan is to use the ID.3 R for it, but the bulky body of the tall hatchback can't pretend to be sports car no matter how much you slam the suspension and how many aero elements you slap on it.
A Scirocco, on the other hand, would be just perfect. With the proper powertrain, it should have no problem lining up alongside Tesla's Model 3 in a drag race and put on a decent fight. It would act like a perfect marketing tool for VW, much more effective than the ID.R could ever be because people would be able to buy it.
There's a reason Tesla offloads cars by the bucket-load, and it's not just their range and Elon Musk's charms: it's the performance too. People may not need it, but it's nice to know you have the bragging rights. So, how about it, Volkswagen? Build an electric Scirocco. You know you want it, and we sure do as well.
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