Volkswagen SP2 Revival Looks like a Modern-Day Jaguar E-Type in Indy Rendering

It was developed in-house by Volkswagen do Brasil (the German company's subsidiary in the South American country) for the local market and penned by a Brazilian designer known for his quirky creations. The man's name was Márcio Piancastelli and, if you're getting strange European vibes off the original SP2's exterior design, it's because Márcio started his career with a one-year-long internship at famous design house Carozzeria Ghia in Italy.

Despite a production run of under five years, the SP2 is still constantly the subject of various virtual resurrection projects - just like this one - and that tells you everything you need to know about the model's place in the history of the automotive industry. As for Brazil, it's safe to say it's kind of a cult vehicle there - how could it not be, considering it looks like a cool Italian sports coupe?

Well, looks can be deceiving, and the SP2's case, they definitely are. The VW came with a modified version of the air-cooled 1.6-liter engine that was ubiquitous in the company's range at the time - and the world as well, considering it powered, among others, the Beetle. The boxer unit was bored to a larger, 1,700 cc displacement for the Brazilian model, but that didn't stop its performance levels from being the butt of the joke of everyone.

Informally, the SP in its name stands for "Sem Potência", which is "without power" in the local language (Portuguese). In reality, the sleek looking '70s Volkswagen got 75 hp out of its engine, which wasn't necessarily anything to laugh at, but it was definitely a lot less than its appearance commanded.

Despite being so fondly remembered now, the Volkswagen SP2 can largely be considered a flop, explaining why it had no successor and why its production ended relatively quickly. But because the design is such an important component of a vehicle you will occasionally see sketches and renderings imagining what a contemporary SP2 would look like - renderings just like this one.

Put together by Brazilian (how else?) designer Diogo Ropond, it envisions a modern Volkswagen SP2 that's basically part of the ID family since it uses electric propulsion to get around. On the one hand, the EV revolution provides the perfect opportunity for the model's revival since making it reasonably quick wouldn't be a problem anymore.

On the other hand, EV platforms are known to favor large cabins, and the SP2 EV definitely doesn't take advantage of that. Given its low-slung silhouette, it's also hard to imagine where all the batteries would fit, with the only explanation being that the two occupants sit in a very reclined position due to the thick floor.

From a design point of view, though, it's hard to fault Diogo's effort. The modern-day SP2 resembles the original, could pass as an ID model, and borrows some lines from one of the all-time best designs - the Jaguar E-Type. To be fair, Márcio's coupe had a few things in common with the British masterclass too, so the resemblance is not exactly a surprise.

Is Volkswagen ever going to revive the SP2? Given its low global notoriety, saying it's unlikely is putting it mildly. However, that doesn't mean the Germans won't make an ID sports model at some point, but even then, we doubt it'll have anything in common with this thing. So, a modern Volkswagen SP2 is nothing other than a flight of fancy, but since it's such a beautiful one, we thought we would share it with you.