Race-prepped Volkswagen Scirocco

German car maker Volkswagen is entering the 24-hour endurance race at the world famous Nurburgring with a race-prepped version of the all-new Scirocco sports hatch.

Three Scirocco race cars will feature at the May 24-25 event sporting a tweaked version of the 2.0-litre TFSI engine which develops 221 kW of power and mated to a DSG gearbox with steering wheel mounted paddles among other things.

Double Le Mans winner Hans Stuck will pilot the Scirocco around the treacherous 25km Nordschleife track in a marketing exercise which Volkswagen hopes will showcase the performance capabilities of this exciting coupe.

However, the Scirocco will have big shoes to fill - a Golf GTI fitted with the same engine topped its class and finished eighth overall at the same event last year.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Hi-res Volkswagen Scirocco images leaked

Images of the upcoming Volkswagen Scirocco have quickly found their way onto internet forums ahead of a rumoured debut at the Geneva Motor Show - this possibility was given weight after an official Scirocco mini-site was unveiled by VW about a week or so ago.

The latest round of images leaked are hi-res versions and shows off the vehicle's sleek lines beautifully while also highlighting how far removed the Scirocco is from the rest of the VW range in terms of styling.

The only official information we have of the Scirocco at the moment is that there will be a four-cylinder model powered by a 2.0-litre TSI engine. This should be followed by other models such as a tweaked version of the Golf GTI's 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI engine and a flagship performance V6 model using the Golf R32 or Passat R36 engine. Both FWD and AWD models will be on offer.

More news on this model should it make an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show this month as expected.

[Source: Various]