2014 VW Scirocco R vs Opel Astra OPC: Which FWD Hot Hatch Would You Have?

Both are front wheel drive, both pack 2-liter turbo engines with 280 PS and both use limited slip differentials to channel their anger towards the road. But while all animal are created equal, some are more equal then others… as they say.

The Looks

Which is the newest car? That's kind of a tricky question to answer. While the Astra OPC was launched in 2013, the platform it's based on is just as old as the Scirocco, which means neither of them is that light. Meanwhile, the Scirocco R is pretty old and not MQB-based, but has received a facelift for the 2014 model year, adding LED taillights and small cosmetic touches.

Because both are designed with sexy coupeish bodies, picking a winner is a matter of personal taste. Both look their best in blue; both have awesome alloys; both Considering these brands have an almost cult following in Germany, nothing we say or show will influence the fans. Vdub people will say the Scirocco R is better, OPC people will always stick with the Astra.

The Performance

Like all the cars in this segment, the OPC and the Scirocco R pack 2-liter turbo engines. The Astra's is a little newer and thus slightly more efficient, partly due to the standard start-stop system. The Opel also delivers its 280 PS a bit lower in the rev rage and offers 50 more Nm (31 lb-ft) of torque.

Despite this, Volkswagen's car is the faster of the two. With a manual, the Scirocco R gets to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. Opt for the DSG auto and that drops to 5.5s, half a second quicker than the Astra OPC. Top speed? Both are German cars, so they're limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). We think this is down to the massive 1,550kg weight of the OPC – yes, it's a bit of a pig.

The Heritage and Badge

There can be no doubt that Volkswagen has the more popular brand. Tens of thousands of people gathering at lake Worthersee every year attest to that fact. From the 2004 Mk5 Golf GTI, basically all the fast cars they've made since have been very well received. In the same period, OPC's models have been a bit hit-and-miss, though the biturbo V6 Insignia goes one-up over every VW ever made.

The Price

How much either of these performance coupes cost depends on the market. In Germany, their domestic market, the 2014 Scirocco R starts at €36.175. That's without options and the DSG gearbox, which will increase the price to €38,000. The Astra OPC is slightly cheaper at €35,440, but is expected to lose its value faster.