Thursday 27th November 2008

Scirocco is Top Gear Car of the Year

VW coupe named Car of the Year after a 16 year absence

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Scirocco: More than just a GTI in drag?

The VW Scirocco has been named Car of the Year at the Top Gear Awards. The reborn coupe scooped the top prize in the magazine’s annual awards because it was ‘fun, stylish and above all, almost affordable.’ The judges added: ‘This is one for us people. Rejoice.’

Other award winners in this year’s roll of honour included: The Dodge Challenger as Muscle Car of the Year, the Citroen Picasso as Family Car of the Year, The Honda FCX Clarity winning the inaugural Green Car of the Year and General Motors receiving some welcome good news with the Corvette ZR1 being named Performance Car of the Year. There was a double triumph for Lamborghini with the Gallardo LP560-4 winning Supercar of the Year and Stephan Winkelman, the company’s president and CEO being named The Top Gear.com Man of the Year.

Speaking of the Scirocco, back after a 16 year absence, the judges said: ‘Sometimes you forget just how exciting Volkswagen can be. Despite feeling like a VW in every sense, the Scirocco manages to distill out the best bits of the GTI and make something...else. Something special. We’re celebrating something truly unique in the Scirocco: a common man’s exotic. This is a car we can understand, we can appreciate, we can afford.’

Despite American cars struggling in the past to cut it with the best that Europe can offer, the Corvette ZR1was named Performance Car of the Year. The judges said: ‘If the grandson of a Kenyan goat-herder can become President, why shouldn’t General Motors build a sports car that can rival the Europeans?’ Meanwhile Chrysler’s 6.1-litre Dodge Challenger was only just pipped at the post by the VW Scirocco as overall Car of the Year.

According to Top Gear editor Michael Harvey: ‘The Challenger is a deeply beautiful object, possessed of a surface and silhouette that would grace any car. That it so viscerally evokes the original compounds the magic. It’s magnificent.’ Lewis Hamilton’s triumphant Formula One year was recognised with the McLaren M4-23 being named Racing Car of the Year. 

[wrightman90]

The new scirocco is better looking than the old one

[vetteheadracer]

well done fat man from Kentucky or Tom Wallace as I like to call him. Recently retired as head of Corvette. Not sure why the Lambo won Supercar over the ZR1 when the ZR1 is plainly better looking, better performance and cheaper. Perhaps "super" refers to the price.

[sniff diesel]

article said:

Lewis Hamilton’s triumphant Formula One year was recognised with the McLaren M4-23 being named Racing Car of the Year.

Debatable, even as a Mclaren fan I'd have to admit Ferrari had the faster car at most circuits this year.

[btdk5]

vetteheadracer said:

well done fat man from Kentucky or Tom Wallace as I like to call him. Recently retired as head of Corvette. Not sure why the Lambo won Supercar over the ZR1 when the ZR1 is plainly better looking, better performance and cheaper. Perhaps "super" refers to the price.

build quality!...I'm basing that on absolutely no knowledge of either cars.

Saw a scirocco the other day good looking car...would defo have one over a golf.

[munch997]

sniff diesel said:

article said:

Lewis Hamilton’s triumphant Formula One year was recognised with the McLaren M4-23 being named Racing Car of the Year.

Debatable, even as a Mclaren fan I'd have to admit Ferrari had the faster car at most circuits this year.

The Mclaren was more consistant throughout the year though, didn't really have reliability issues where the ferrari's did, mabey thats why?

[Jduncan78963]

Top work by Chevrolet. The ZR1 makes me shudder just looking at it. Shame it costs twice as much over here as it does in the states.

Not that I could afford it in the States either but a guy can dream!!

[vetteheadracer]

Jduncan78963 said:

Top work by Chevrolet. The ZR1 makes me shudder just looking at it. Shame it costs twice as much over here as it does in the states.

Not that I could afford it in the States either but a guy can dream!!

Given the current exchange rate the price differential is really not that great

[RogMcDodge]

I don't suppose there would be any danger in Dodge bringing the Challenger over here alongside their current pants line up is there???

That car looks AWESOME!!! Makes me want to paint it orange and go bridge jumping, yee haar!

[The Milfman]

vetteheadracer said:

when the ZR1 is plainly better looking

Debatable but each to their own. The ZR1 is clearly an impressive car.

[otolith]

I kept reading reviews of the Scirocco saying that it looks more special in the metal. Someone in the neighbouring village has bought one, and I've seen it a few times now.

I don't get it. It's a perfectly acceptable, well proportioned three door hatchback. It's nice enough, in a big-wheeled, slab-sided Germanic way, and with a passing hint of early 90's Honda Civic from the rear 3/4, but a coupé?

[LuS1fer]

Hmmm....Muscle Car of the Year......that would be what, a category of one since the new Mustang has only just been launched as a 2009 model and the Camaro's not due until next year? Splitting hairs, they are technically all Pony cars.

[J400uk]

Fantastic News

The Scirocco is an awesome little car

[G0ldfysh]

Scirocco is so much better in real life on the road than it appears in any photographs. On the road you think hmm interesting looks good, photographs just look like a fat golf with even worse rear visibility.

[dkennedyvxt]

sniff diesel said:

article said:

Lewis Hamilton’s triumphant Formula One year was recognised with the McLaren M4-23 being named Racing Car of the Year.

Debatable, even as a Mclaren fan I'd have to admit Ferrari had the faster car at most circuits this year.

But was as reliable as a TVR

[Bill Carr]

otolith said:

I don't get it. It's a perfectly acceptable, well proportioned three door hatchback. It's nice enough, in a big-wheeled, slab-sided Germanic way, and with a passing hint of early 90's Honda Civic from the rear 3/4, but a coupé?

I've seen quite a few, leaves me cold. At least it's cheaper than the Gti!

[bettarn]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who doesn't get the looks of the Scirocco. When I finally saw one, it looked pretty much as dull as it did in the photo's. Doesn't do it for me.

From all reports it's obviously a good drive, though.

Edited by bettarn on Thursday 27th November 12:44

[Steve_F]

I think it depends on the colour of the Scirocco. The local VW garage has a silver demo one that I really don't like the look of. In white it's a completely different story, much better looking.

Maybe I'm just bored of silver cars now.

[Wilburo]

dkennedyvxt said:

sniff diesel said:

article said:

Lewis Hamilton’s triumphant Formula One year was recognised with the McLaren M4-23 being named Racing Car of the Year.

Debatable, even as a Mclaren fan I'd have to admit Ferrari had the faster car at most circuits this year.

But was as reliable as a TVR

To be fair, even TVRs can complete sixteen trips in a row without needing a new engine.

[shoestring7]

Bill Carr said:

otolith said:

I don't get it. It's a perfectly acceptable, well proportioned three door hatchback. It's nice enough, in a big-wheeled, slab-sided Germanic way, and with a passing hint of early 90's Honda Civic from the rear 3/4, but a coupé?

I've seen quite a few, leaves me cold. At least it's cheaper than the Gti!

Maybe they drove it, not based their decision on a passing example driven by a bloke in the next village?

SS7

[im]

wrightman90 said:

The new scirocco is better looking than the old one

The original was every bit if not better looking in its particular time-frame.

Although the new one is also a good looking car it does look a bit like other stuff on the road today. The original had a shape that (really) only had the Capri as a contemporary comparison.

IMHO