Jason Cammisa's Volkswagen Scirocco Jay Leno's Garage

Summary

In this episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Leno drives a 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V owned by Jason Cammisa. Cammisa bought the car when he was 21 for $1500 without knowing anything about Sciroccos but fell in love with it after driving it home. The Scirocco was an affordable sports coupe but didn't sell well in the US. Cammisa modified his Scirocco over the years to increase the power and says it's still his favorite car to drive even after experiencing thousands of other vehicles. Leno wasn't interested in Sciroccos when they were new but is impressed by the driving experience in Cammisa's car and thanks him for opening his eyes to an overlooked '80s Volkswagen.

Takeaways

• 😀 Jason bought the 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco as his first car when he was 21 for $1500 to spite his dad who didn't buy him a car for college.
• 👷‍♂️ The Scirocco was Volkswagen's sports coupe version of the Golf hatchback, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
• ⚙️ This 16V model had a 1.8L 16-valve 123 hp engine, Volkswagen's first 16V motor.
• 🚗 Jason has modified his Scirocco over the years - it now makes around 170 hp with a 2.0L motor, suspension upgrades, etc.
• 🚦 The car could do 0-60 mph in 7 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph originally.
• 😍 Jason says the Scirocco is still his favorite to drive despite testing many more expensive and exotic cars over his career.
• 👴 Jay had never driven a Scirocco before but was impressed by the engine note, power delivery and handling.
• 💸 Only about 10,000 Sciroccos were sold in the US. In good condition they go for $30-40k now.
• 🔧 The model suffered from weak chassis structure and transmission issues that Jason has worked to address.
• 🤝 Jay's appreciation for the car grew after driving it, overcoming his earlier bias against 1980s Volkswagens.

Q & A

What car is being featured in this episode of Jay Leno's Garage?

A 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V.

Why didn't Jay pay much attention to the Scirocco when it first came out?

He was focused on Italian sports cars like the Lamborghini Countach at the time and saw the Scirocco as just a regular car.

How much did Jason pay for his Scirocco originally?

$1500 in 1997.

What was the original horsepower of the US-spec Scirocco 16V?

123 hp from the 1.8L 16-valve four-cylinder engine.

What changes has Jason made to the engine of his Scirocco?

He added a 2.0L bottom end, European cams and intake to get around 170 hp.

Why were the Scirocco models not a huge sales success in the US?

They were considered expensive at the time ($15,000) and the body style had been around since 1982 so it wasn't seen as fresh.

What transmission issues has Jason dealt with on his Scirocco?

The transmission would catastrophically fail by locking up the front wheels and send the car off the road, so he replaced it with a NOS transmission.

Where was the Scirocco's battery originally located?

Right above the front wheel, making the car very front-heavy.

What was Jay's impression after test driving the Scirocco?

He was impressed with the engine sound, power delivery and handling. He could understand why Jason loved it so much.

Where did Jay and Jason grow up?

They both grew up in the New York area - Jay in Brooklyn and Jason in Westchester County.