VW doesn’t want to following in the footsteps of Ford, which reproduced the Capri as an electric crossover
March 4, 2025 at 12:03
- VW’s CEO won’t revive historic names unless they truly capture the original car’s DNA.
- Schafer assures fans no Scirocco crossovers or SUVs are on the horizon for Volkswagen.
- The German brand’s boss criticized Ford for the revival of the Capri name on an SUV.
In recent years, several car manufacturers have opted to resurrect classic nameplates, slapping them onto brand-new vehicles. We’ve seen the electric Ford Capri, the reimagined Acura Integra and RSX, Honda’s rebooted Prelude, the return of the Opel / Vauxhall Frontera, and even the Renault 5 making a comeback. But Volkswagen, up until now, has steered clear of this trend. That is, until recently, when the company signaled it might be open to reviving old model names—but only if it makes sense. (What a refreshing concept!)
Protecting the Scirocco Legacy
According to VW CEO Thomas Schafer, any new model carrying the weight of an iconic nameplate needs to have the same “genes” as the original. If not, forget it, it’s not happening. Schafer specifically singled out the Scirocco, ensuring fans that the name will not be attached to something unworthy.
Read: VW Scirocco Could Return As An Electric Sports Car
“The Scirocco is a very special model,” he said. “I can name a few others, but if it doesn’t reflect the DNA of the original car in a really strong sense, then [we would] rather give it a new name and do something else,” he told Autocar.
Current Scirocco owners will be pleased to hear this, and won’t have to worry about VW launching the model as sacrilegious as a Scirocco crossover or SUV any time soon. Interestingly, there’s talk that the Scirocco could make a comeback in the form of an electric sports car, potentially sharing the platform with the new electric Porsche Boxster and Cayman.
During his conversation with the magazine, Schafer was asked about the newly revived Ford Capri and didn’t hold back, calling it a “mistake.”
“See, by the feedback of the consumer, it’s a mistake,” he said. “If you call something what it is not, be very careful. Say, if it’s a GTI, it better be a GTI. It’s our model. It’s got to be true to the genes.”
Reports from last year suggested that a new Scirocco could hit the market by 2028—if it gets the green light. Should it move forward, the revived Scirocco might use the same PPE platform developed by Audi and Porsche, potentially featuring dual electric motors and offering more performance than the VW Golf R.
While that sounds intriguing, it’s important to remember that VW is currently navigating some financial hurdles. So, while the idea of an electric Scirocco might be tantalizing, it’s probably not going to be top of mind for VW anytime soon, especially with so many other priorities on the table.
llustration Thanos Pappas / CarScoops
