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 2014XL 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?
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Sources:
Stepan Rehak / LinkedIn, Tibor Juhasz / LinkedIn