IT'S A car that has always provoked strong reactions. In its heyday, more than 30 years ago, it was known disparagingly as the 'German's Capri' or the 'Golf coupe'. More recently the reborn VW Scirocco has moved motoring pundit Clarkson to nostalgia, near poetry and certain tears.
So the hot wind from the Sahara (ie Scirocco) is back. And although VW only expects to sell about 3,300 this year and 9,000 in a full year, it is creating quite a storm - pun intended.
One of the reasons is that the rakish four-seater coupe - yes, it will actually carry a full payload of passengers - with Golf GTI bits is something of a bargain. Priced at £20,940 with a superb 198bhp engine and loads of goodies, it is virtually the same price as the plain-Jane GTI.
There is, however, a bit of VW method in this madness. The Golf is to be replaced early next year with a new version, so sales of the old model will soon start to trail. The new Scirocco will allow VW fans to stay faithful to the brand until later in 2009 when another GTI version will appear.
Slightly longer than the Golf and noticeably wider, it is a full 9cm lower giving it a muscular presence to emphasise its performance.
Spelled out, that amounts to 146mph and 0 to 62mph in 7.2seconds which means the four cylinder turbocharged two litre has the measure of most sports cars until you get to the rarefied air of models like the Porsche Boxster and Audi TTS. The normal TT, which shares the same engine, would struggle to shake off a Scirocco.
When it comes to fuel efficiency, the VW acquits itself well with a combined figure of 37.2mpg which matches up with CO2 emissions of 179g/km.
I suspect the average is quite 'driving-sensitive' because during a brief thrash through the Yorkshire Dales with considerable gear changing, the computer read-out was closer to 24mpg.
The trouble is the Scirocco is such fun to drive. Though the Golf GTI is nimble and vibrant, the Scirocco is better with a quicker steering turn-in and still more poise. Maybe the wider, lower stance plays a part as do the variable suspension settings controlled by a switch on the dash.
The overall impression is of a thoroughly well-thought out sports car which is refined enough for long motorway journeys, yet loads of fun for scooting around country roads.
Emphasising its practicality, the hatchback boot holds nearly 300 litres of luggage - just 50 litres less than the Golf. The rear seats allow reasonable visibility and have enough headroom and legroom for a six-footer. I know, I tried it. Getting in and out isn't that easy though!
There's a choice between a manual six speed gearbox or automatic with six speed DSG transmission. The latter adds another £1,300 or so to the price and is one of the best autos on the market.
Personally, I'd go for the slick manual boxmaybe splashing out the saving on leather upholstery or the glass panoramic sunroof which tilts to let in a dash of fresh air.
I reckon the Scirocco is one of the real snips of the year, and possibly the most civilised motoring fun you can get for close to £20k.