1705286690
It was such a German duel – Opel Manta against Volkswagen Scirocco. And later their successors – the Calibra and Corrado models. Some people might underestimate the Volkswagen Corrado, but that would be a mistake. The Corrado is a well-made and great-driving car, even if many car fans won’t forgive the brand.
Volkswagen intended the Corrado to be the successor to the second-generation Scirocco coupe, but in the end the cars were so different that they were produced simultaneously for several years after 1989. But the Corrado was able to make much better use of the second-generation Golf’s platform. In addition, production took place in the Karmann body shop in Osnabrück, which performed better than the automobile company itself with higher quality production in a lower volume. Ultimately, this car from 1989 feels like new.
Photo: Martin Palonder
The silhouette is much more respectful of the shapes of the first Scirocco.
The design hardly refers to its basis in the Golf, although the Corrado was also designed by Herbert Schäfer. Maybe only the angular lights and the radiator grille are reminiscent of the Jetta sedan, but otherwise the aggressively shaped coupe looks very original. At the rear there is a spoiler developed by Porsche, which extends automatically at speeds over 100 km/h or when the corresponding button is pressed. It’s really nice when you see the rear spoiler in the rearview mirror. The special car from Veteránu na Truc’s range has split 17-inch wheels, the design of which is reminiscent of classic BBS rims. Personally, I would prefer to choose a smaller disc diameter, as it makes the Corrado unnecessarily hard.
Sporty ambitions are also reflected in the interior
The interior is designed for a crew of four, although it is not at all comfortable in the back of the car. But you buy a Corrado to drive, and the front seat goes with it. The front seats have a wonderful shape, are nicely anchored and provide the driver and front passenger with very good support when cornering. The steering wheel is also adjustable and part of the dashboard faces the driver, something Volkswagen did not do in any other model at the time.
Photo: Martin Palonder
The Volkswagens of that time did not yet have a driver-oriented dashboard.
Good news for enthusiastic drivers is the very good rigidity of the front wheel body. The technology came primarily from the second Golf generation, but also partly from the third. However, this mainly affected the VR6 version and its front axle. The rear axle, however, comes from the B3 generation Passat. Neither the Golf nor the Passat are cars that I would remember driving even after a long time, so I wasn’t expecting miracles. But Corrado is different, and that stays in your memory. I still don’t understand how the ordinary technology of ordinary German cars, put together correctly, can create a coupé with precise steering and absolutely responsive behavior that can be described as sporty.
You don’t expect such good driving characteristics from a Volkswagen
I really don’t understand it. I drive through a sharp curve and try to find out with what surgical precision the front wheels react to the movement of the steering wheel and how sensitively the brakes can be adjusted. I don’t understand how exactly the individual steps of the used five-quarters fit into their positions, because I’ve never experienced anything like this with any other Volkswagen. Sure, I didn’t have high expectations. I was expecting another Golf (like when I once tested the second Scirocco) weighing a ton and a half, and instead I got a great, playful sports coupe – balanced and neutral in corners and with fantastic responsiveness. I later found out that Tiff Needell from the old Top Gear called the Corrado one of the best front wheels and I completely agree with him. Although the significantly lowered chassis certainly helps the Corrado in the corners. And 17 inch wheels.
But which one should I buy?
The most expensive and valuable version is the Corrado VR6 (six cylinders with a volume of 2.8 or 2.9 liters); for undemanding veterans, versions with four cylinders 1.8 or 2.0 are recommended. Then of course there’s this G60 version with a supercharged G-Fan 18 that’s tuned to produce 160 hp (118 kW) at 5,600 rpm and 225 Nm at 4,000 rpm. But be careful, it is said that the compressor has to be overhauled every hundred thousand kilometers. For the way the car behaves, a very nice sound, a top speed of 225 km/h and decent acceleration in 8.3 seconds, it might be worth it for me. A five-speed manual transmission is connected to the engine.
Photo: Martin Palonder
Production ended in 1995 and the car did not receive a direct successor. The third generation of the Scirocco Coupé, introduced many years later, can be described as such. When searching for Corrado in the classifieds, be patient. The car is very popular with tuners, which is why most of the 97,521 examples built will be modified, significantly lowered and mounted on modern large wheels. Finally, these changes have not gone unnoticed in this piece, otherwise it is fortunately unchanged. What is pleasing, however, is the extensive equipment that the Corrado could have as the brand’s flagship.
You can try to restore the car to its original condition, but some parts are harder to find and not the cheapest. This also applies to the car itself. Prices for the cheapest 1800s in Germany start at around one hundred thousand crowns. This particular Corrado G60 was offered for 210,000 crowns last year.
#Test #Volkswagen #Corrado #G60