VW Scirocco Tuning

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2008 - 2017 VW made a third generation Scirocco, it was based on the Golf Mk5 platform (PQ35) and featured a new coupe body shell winning car of the year in 2008's TopGear magazine.

Let's look at mods and upgrade options for those who want to dabble in a little Vw Scirocco tuning and build a project car.

The Scirocco has undergone several revisions since its inception. The first generation Scirocco, born in the '70s, set the stage for its sporty legacy one which is firmly nodded to in the newly redesigned Mk3. Fast forward to the second generation in the '80s, and you'll notice a sleeker design with improved performance, again elements of this are echoed in the Mk3 styling.

The third generation, starting from 2008, brought a modern touch while maintaining that classic Scirocco charm.

Now, onto the models and engines – the Scirocco has seen a variety of them over the years. You'll find different trims like the Scirocco R, GT, and others.

As for engines, VW has blessed this beast with a range of powerplants. From punchy 1.4-liter TSI engines to the robust 2.0-liter TDI, there's something for every driving style. Power ranges vary, but expect a thrilling ride ranging from 120 to 280 horsepower, depending on the specific model and year.

Utilizing essentially Golf Parts and packaging them in a fun chassis which both looks great and performs superbly is a winning combination.

Please watch our video introduction to VW Scirocco Tuning.

Why should you consider the Scirocco? Well, apart from its rich heritage and stylish design, this car is a true performer.

The precise handling and responsive steering make every twist and turn on the road a thrilling experience. The Scirocco seamlessly combines sportiness with practicality, making it an ideal choice for both daily drives and spirited weekend adventures.

The only downside from my experience is limited rear access and a tendency to bump my head as I get in and out. It's not a family car per se but for that you would be looking at a Golf instead.

This is a stylish sporty looking coupe, for those that love driving, but it is cheap to run and provides the usual VW reliability.

But what truly sets the Scirocco apart? It's not just a car; it's a statement. The sleek lines, the aggressive front end, and that unmistakable VW badge – it's a head-turner. Owning a Scirocco means joining an exclusive club of enthusiasts who appreciate not just driving, but the art of driving in style.

The VW Scirocco isn't just a car; it's a legend an instant classic. Whether you're into the classic vibes of the early models or the modern flair of the latest generation, the Scirocco offers a driving experience like no other. So, why should you buy one? Because life's too short for boring cars, and the Scirocco is anything but boring. It's a celebration of speed, style, and the pure joy of driving – a true Volkswagen masterpiece.

There was a facelift in 2014 with subtle styling changes and revisions to the engines. Engine choices were limited compared to other VW group cars, but the focus was on well performing engines that suited the Scirocco chassis.

• 1.4 TSI 122 bhp 2008–2017 122 PS (90 kW; 120 hp) @5,000 200 Nm (148 lbft) @1,500–4,000
• 1.4 TSI 122 bhp BlueMotion Technology 2009–2017 122 PS (90 kW; 120 hp) @5,000 200 Nm (148 lbft) @1,500–4,000
• 1.4 TSI 160 bhp 2008–2017 163 PS (120 kW; 161 hp) @5,800 240 Nm (177 lbft) @1,500–4,500
• 2.0 TSI 200–211 bhp 2008–2017 211 PS (155 kW; 208 hp) @5,300–6,200 280 Nm (207 lbft) @1,700–5,000
• Scirocco R / 2.0 TSI 2009–2017 265 PS (195 kW; 261 hp) @6,000 350 Nm (258 lbft) @2,500

Diesel engines

• 2.0 TDI CR 143 bhp 2008–2017 143 PS (105 kW; 141 hp) @4,000 320 Nm (236 lbft) @1,750–2,500
• 2.0 TDI CR 170 bhp 2009–2017 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) @4,200 350 Nm (258 lbft) @1,750–2,500

The Scirocco is a good project car to carry out. With the right mods your Scirocco can be transformed into a stunning project. Don't waste money, do your homework and follow our unbiased guides to each performance upgrade to avoid wasting money.

We have engine specific guides now, so please read these for a more indepth look at engine tuning, as this page only gives an overview of the range.

• 1.4 1.5 TFSi tuning
• 1.4 TSi/TFSi/Twincharge tuning
• 1.8T engine Tuning
• 1.8 & 2.0 TFSi (mk1) Tuning
• 1.8 2.0 TFSi (ea888) Tuning
• 2.0 TFSi carbon issue & care guide
• 2.0 TDI 140-170 tuning
• 2.0 TDI tuning (EA188)
• 2.5 TDI tuning
• 2.7 & 3.0 TDI tuning

Handling/Suspension upgrades

Many Scirocco owners uprate the handling of their cars with coilover suspension upgrades as a priority, this will certainly increase your enjoyment of the car.

We found that most Scirocco factory suspension setups need tweaking, a few degrees of toe out for cornering or toe in for stability, -, and a little negative camber will radically benefit your cornering and handling.

We suggest that you fit sports suspension and lower the car by 27mm - 37 mm. Larger drops require arch work - especially on models already equipped with performance suspension.

Our aim in engine tuning should be to increase peak bhp at the top end.

Smaller engines do not provide much of a return in terms of power so start with a bigger engine. Engine swaps are a good option if you have a small engine size.

Tuning modifications.

• 1.4 L I4 (petrol)
• 2.0 L i4 (petrol)
• 2.0 L i4 (diesel)

These are the uprated kits are usually fitted by our members, decide how far you want to go before you begin.

Getting the correct grade of performance upgrades for your planned usage of the car is vital. Stage 3 motor sport parts just don't work well on the road hard to control in slow traffic.

Please watch our video which covers the 5 principles of tuning your car. Be sure to keep up with our latest YouTube content and subscribe.

Best Engine Mods for your Car

1. Engine Tunes - engine tuning/remapping provides the most advantage in terms of cost savings,  aftermarket ECUs, and piggyback ECUs are all alternatives.
2. Fast road cams are one of the most significant mechanical changes, but they must be installed by someone who knows what they're doing and they are not always easy to source but you might find a local firm to regrind a stock camshaft.
3. Intake and Exhaust - Note that on their own these mods will NOT ADD POWER in most cases, but they can help enhance power after other mods by removing the restriction.
4. Upgrades to turbochargers and superchargers - forced induction is the most efficient approach to increase air supply, allowing you to burn more fuel and make more power. It is one of the most costly upgrades but provides the best gains.
5. Head work - The goals of porting and flowing the head are to get air flowing into the engine while removing flow restrictions and turbulence.

Typical stage 1 mods often include: Sports exhaust, Panel air filter, Lighter flywheel, Suspension upgrade (drop 30-40mm), Engine Tunes/Remapping, Alloy wheels.

Typical stage 2 mods often include: Power/Sport clutch, fuel pump upgrades, Ported and polished head, Fast road cam, high flow fuel injector.

Typical stage 3 mods often include: Competition cam, Engine balancing, Internal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), Sports gearbox, Adding or upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger).

Peak power is nice in motorsport but for a daily driven car you need a wide torque band and perhaps extending the rev range.

The point of our articles is to give a starting base of car tuning modifications and point you in the right direction, our forum is the place to go for detailed advice and tips on your customized car project, the best sport modifications and all aspects of modding cars.A fast road cam is one of the best NASP power modifications you can do with a single part fitted to your engine.

It maximises the intake and exhaust flow and increases the power if done right. Ideally you'd add other mods and finish up with a remap. TorqueCars would caution you not to go with a competition cam as this affects the engines idling and general town driving characteristics.

You will need to ensure that the engine is not starved of fuel so will need to increase the fuelling.

Most power losses, and erratic idling after motorsport kits are done can usually be traced to fuelling or timing issues.Upgrading the injectors is another beneficial modification and will deliver sufficient fuel.

A fuel pump will only deliver a finite amount of fuel, so you may need to uprate this if your injectors are demanding more fuel.

Intake and Exhaust Tuning.

Breathing mods are usually next up. Please note that WE DO NOT RECOMMEND INDUCTION KITS, unless you have tuned your car massively and are finding that the standard air intake has become limited.

Maximum power gains come from a full induction kit with a cold air feed on heavily tuned engines, this can be sited within an air box but a performance panel filter should suffice for most applications. TorqueCars suggest you use a panel air filter as these are easy to clean and maintain and generally perform better than paper ones.

Sports exhausts balance the flow of air through the engine. But if the exhaust pipe is too large, ie: it's over 2.5 inches bore, you will lose a great deal of the exhaust flow rate and end up lacking power and torque.

Head work including a head port and polished and 3 or 5 angle valve job will really help to release the potential of the engine. When you heavily modify your Scirocco you will see that the standard clutch starts to suffer so get an uprated clutch. The best mods we recommend for your Scirocco are Remapping or piggy back ecu, fast road cam and air intake and exhaust.

Remaps offer phenomenal power gains on all turbo charged cars. On NA (naturally aspirated) engines the benefits are doubtful. However a flashed ecu on a NA (naturally aspirated) engine will help unleash the potential if you have done a lot of mods.

We've also seen some tuners experimenting with twincharging applications and making some impressively high power figures.

Despite the large cost involved adding forced induction to a NA (naturally aspirated) engine will give large power gains. Superchargers are often easier to add than turbos. It is difficult to map fuelling with a turbo as the boost builds exponentially with revs.

Superchargers however will give a boost which is proportional to engine speed so is simpler. Decreasing the engines compression ratio will allow you to add forced induction, water injection may also help prevent detonation.

Alloy wheel upgrades.

Alloy wheels will help the brake cooling and are usually less heavy than steel ones. We can't go into too much detail here about tires but they are how the car puts the power down on the road so are a critical choice. track legal slick tires work well on Scirocco, and make a big difference over budget tires. Large Scirocco alloy wheels can decrease performance. If you get big alloy wheels you will be changing your final drive ratio.

Although some people have gone larger than this without problems we would restrict ourselves to a 16 inch rim size as the maximum.

If you would like to know more, or just get some friendly advice on Tuning your car please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss Scirocco options in more detail with our Scirocco owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased VW tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

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