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Auto Blog
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Never-Before-Seen Sketches Show How Cool Volkswagen Wanted To Be
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. A Familiar Alien If you're a hardcore Volkswagen fan, you're probably aware of and interested in cars that the German automaker sold outside your home country. For such individuals, the shape in these never-before-published sketches shared to LinkedIn looks incredibly familiar, calling to mind Brazil's Volkswagen SP2, an air-cooled coupe produced from 1972 to 1975 on the widened bones of a Karmann Ghia VW Type 14 with a Type 3 'pancake' (boxer/horizontally opposed/flat) engine. Indeed, the SP2 inspired Volkswagen designer Tibor Juhasz back in 2017, when Volkswagen was evaluating various ways of offering EVs to the public. Why The Concept Was Considered 'Back in 2017, my SP2 proposal was born from pure intuition. It envisioned an electric future powered by progress, yet deeply rooted in classic values,' explained Juhasz on LinkedIn. 'My goal was clear: build forward without losing what defines us. Emotion, energy, and vision came together to create something that still resonates today.' According to his colleague, Stepan Rehak, who shared the sketches first spotted by Top Gear, the 'sporty concept proposal' would have been built on the MEB platform, so it might have been relatively cost-effective to build. But the whole reason Volkswagen was working so fervently on all-electric vehicles at this time was to try to salvage its reputation following the immensely expensive Dieselgate scandal; the last thing VW needed was a sporty EV that would almost certainly sell in low volumes, even if it were offered globally, so it's no wonder management passed on the retro coupe. By providing your email address, you agree that it may be used pursuant to Arena Group's Privacy Policy. Just Get The Original A little over 10,000 of the original SP2 were made, so they're rare. But not necessarily expensive. According to the average value over the last five years has hovered around $24,000. Very few examples are on sale in America, but a resprayed 1975 model with around 41,000 miles is selling for $21,000 on Bring a Trailer, with four other examples on each different model years and different colors, ranging in price from $39,990 to $53,500. As an air-cooled Volkswagen from the 1970s, it'll need babying and lots of rust prevention, but I guarantee you'll draw more attention than the average Lambo. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Motor 1
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Volkswagen Shows a Sports Car That Never Happened
Picture this. It's 2017. Dieselgate is in full swing. Volkswagen is trying to divert attention from the messy scandal surrounding its emissions-cheating TDI cars by rolling out a flurry of ID. concepts. The original ID. showcar had already debuted a year earlier, followed in 2017 by the I.D. Crozz as an early look at what would become the ID.4. But behind the scenes at the design studio, something far more exciting was taking shape: a sports car. Never-before-seen sketches reveal a thrilling take on the VW Group's MEB platform. Štěpán Řehák , Spokesperson for Design & Concept Cars, recently shared striking drawings on LinkedIn of a fully electric sports car. Designed by Tibor Juhasz, the performance EV aimed to pay homage to the SP2. No, not Ferrari's Monza SP2 supercar, but Volkswagen's own sports coupe from the 1970s. Photo by: Volkswagen Developed and built in Brazil, the original SP2 was based on the existing Type 3 to keep costs down. It featured a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Its spiritual successor, though never realized, ditched the air-cooled engine and four-speed manual in favor of an electric motor, presumably mounted at the back, since all MEB-based cars so far are rear- or all-wheel drive. While the original SP2 wasn't styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the ID. sports car drew inspiration from the legendary designer behind the first Golf, Passat, Scirocco, Jetta, and the wild W12 supercar concepts. In a LinkedIn post, Tibor shared the vision behind his modern-day SP2 sketch, created back in 2017: 'My SP2 proposal was born from pure intuition. It envisioned an electric future powered by progress, yet deeply rooted in classic values. My goal was clear: build forward without losing what defines us. Emotion, energy, and vision came together to create something that still resonates today.' But the low-slung coupe with its muscular arches never made it past the drawing board. VW had bigger fish to fry than launching what would've ultimately been a niche product. Instead, it focused on high-volume EVs like the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7. Even so, it found room to play with the ID. Buzz , though sadly, the sports car was left on the proverbial cutting room floor. Photo by: Volkswagen This unnamed performance EV isn't the first exciting concept from VW in modern times that never reached production. Since we brought up Dieselgate, some may remember the 2009 BlueSport, a mid-engined roadster with a 2.0-liter TDI. Before that came the 2005 EcoRacer, another diesel-powered concept. Then there was the 2014 XL Sport , fitted with a V-2 engine from the Ducati Superleggera. Yet all of them pale in comparison to the legendary W12. With Europe's sales ban on new cars with combustion engines looming, it's too late for VW to launch a new sports car with a combustion engine. Still, this spiritual SP2 successor offers a glimmer of hope that a dedicated performance model might one day materialize. Wolfsburg has promised to carry the GTI and R badges into the electric era, but a standalone sports car in the mold of this two-door concept would be even more exciting. Sure, it wouldn't sell like a hatchback, let alone like a crossover. But a sports car could do wonders for VW's brand image after years of damage. Audi is gearing up for its 'TT Moment 2.0," so maybe it's time for the mainstream sibling to follow suit? VW And EVs: VW's New EV Platform Still Supports Combustion Engines Volkswagen Is Making Less Money Because It's Selling More EVs Gallery: VW SP2 (1974) 3 Source: Volkswagen Sources: Stepan Rehak / LinkedIn , Tibor Juhasz / LinkedIn Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
