Oct 8, 20224 min read

Invested Attraction

An initially unloved model becomes a show worthy statement.

Kjell Dehandschutter | 2014 VW Scirocco 2.0l TSI

@kdh_scirocco

The VW Scirocco; brainchild of Giorgetto Giugiaro back in 1974, is a somewhat staple in the German manufacturer's portfolio and it's clear to see why. Selling 500,000 Mk1's over the 7 year period to 1981 the Scirocco was a safe hit with strong popularity across Europe.

Now in its third generation, the Scirocco shows no signs of dropping in popularity, particularly in the car scene, with more and more high quality modified examples appearing. An example of such being Kjell's stunning bagged, blacked-out, and beautiful Dub.

"I never actually planned to buy a Scirocco. In fact when I first saw them I didn't like the way they looked, but I got a very good deal on this one and couldn't resist."

The Rocco has grown on Kjell like a rash, only this is one irritation that gets under your skin in all the right ways.

"I no longer daily the Scirocco anymore but when I did it was really fun to drive. Enough power to gap some decent cars and also, in my opinion, delivered brilliantly in the corners."

It's no coincidence that Kjell finds the Scirocco's handling and engaging. The entire model line was created by VW to be a sporty coupe and therefore it was decided that it shouldn't be over-loaded with power. Instead, handling and driver response were pushed to the forefront creating a sensationally involved drive.

Yet that's not to say these cars are a slouch. With base level models offering upwards of 120bhp, the model line peaks with the Scirocco R pumping out an impressive 261bhp.

Rocking a Stage 2 remap, Kjell's Scirocco is pushing 310bhp, resulting in a powerful, well handling package.

"At first I just wanted to keep it simple and to not do much to it. When I started adding modifications I was, and still am, never satisfied so I always wanted more."

Ladies and gentlemen this is your classic case of modifying your daily driver to the point where it becomes too expensive / tricky to drive everyday. Hence why the Scirocco has been now retired to good weather runs, shows, and events.

This is no bad thing as it has allowed Kjell to push this build even further and embark on his journey to exploit as much power out of the 2.0l engine as possible.

"At the moment my biggest challenge was mounting the facelift R front bumper because my Scirocco is a pre-facelift model. To make it fit I needed to change and adjust a lot of mounting points and brackets etc. Overall there haven't been many difficulties as the mods carried out are not as extravagant or over the top."

Whilst a significant amount of work has gone into this build, the overall aesthetic is clean, mature and effective. The simple monochromatic colour scheme partnered with a lovely stance featuring small amounts of tuck really exudes a modern flare.

"I'm actually most pleased with the air suspension. In my opinion some cars just ask to be bagged and I think the Scirocco is one of those cars."

The natural smooth and low-slung body of the Scirocco does make them fantastic candidates for air setups. This also maintains the majority of the natural comfort upon daily duties that VW's tend to be known for.

So where did the passion for modifying cars come from for Kjell? Well, like all super hero movies ever, there's always a good origin story behind every car enthusiast. A sensei, guiding light or inspiring event that propels an individual into the problematic yet fruitful world of modifying your pride and joy.

"Since I was a kid I spent a lot of time at race tracks with my father and his bike. I was never really interested in bikes and always looked at all the built race cars. As well as this, playing Need for Speed and other racing games stimulated my love for cars as well as the Fast and the Furious films."

A childhood where time was spent on the glorious, smokey tarmac, inhaling petrol and tyre shreddings sounds like a perfect and natural origin story for this car enthusiast. Whilst Kjell wasn't necessarily drawn to motorbikes, the track-geared car builds sharing the surroundings caught his attention and inspired this future creation. Yet there is one final statement Kjell would like to leave us with regarding the Rocco:

"Fun fact about my car is that whichever way you look at the rear of the car, it will always look like a frog to me."

An initially unloved, un-inspired car became a show worthy blacked-out beast whilst still holding on to it's natural 'frog' like looks and character. Sounds like something from a fairytale for these two...