Bahn-stormer!: With a new Scirocco waiting in the Wings, Peter Noad remembers a driver's delight from the Eighties, the high-revving 16V ...

摘要

IN THE EARLY Eighties, increasing competition from other makes in the 'hot hatch' market meant that Volkswagen needed to substantially increase the power of the Golf GTI if it was to remain the class leader. But it was actually the Scirocco which was first to benefit from the new engine technology... The engineers decided that, rather than use forced induction (turbo or supercharging) or a substantial increase in displacement, the necessary gain in power could be achieved by improving the volumetric efficiency of the engine, i.e. by using twin overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder. Thus was born the 16V, development of which began in 1981, at the same time as the enlargement from 1588 to 1781 cc (considered to be the maximum for the EA 827 engine at that time).