VW SP2

Volkswagen
SP
Production period:	1972-1976
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Combi coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 1.6–1.7 liters (40–48 kW)
Length:	4217 mm
Width:	1610 mm
Height:	1158 mm
Wheelbase :	2400 mm
Empty weight :	890 kg

The VW SP was a sports coupé produced by the Brazilian Volkswagen factory from 1972 to 1976 mainly for the local market ; the name of the vehicle stood for São Paulo or, according to other sources, for Special Project or Sports Prototype .

history

In the 1970s, the Brazilian automotive market was as good as closed to imports due to extremely high import tariffs on motor vehicles. The only sporty cars that were still around were already out of date, such as the VW Karmann Ghia and its successor, the less successful Karmann Ghia TC. However, some independent Brazilian manufacturers have occupied this niche with some success, such as Puma and Santa Matilde .

Project X

The Brazilian VW subsidiary always enjoyed a relatively high degree of independence from the parent company. From 1968 Volkswagen do Brasil was headed by Rudolf Leiding , who later became head of the VW Group. In 1969, under the working name Projekt X, a team led by the engineer Schiemann was commissioned to develop a sporty vehicle. The result was a model study that was the first Volkswagen to have the "shark face" copied later from the German VW 412 . The model study was presented on March 24, 1971 at the German industrial fair in São Paulo, Parque do Ibirapuera.

The series models

Rear of a VW SP2

The production SP2 was based on the platform of the Brazilian VW 1600 Variant, but had a four-cylinder boxer engine enlarged to 1700 cm ³ (flat radiator, as with Type 3). This made 65  (DIN) HP and gave the SP2 a top speed of 161 km / h with a standard consumption of 10.5 l / 100 km. The SP2 took 17.4 seconds to accelerate to 100 km / h. In addition, there was a weaker variant with the SP1 with a 54 (DIN) HP 1.6-liter boxer engine and 149 km / h top speed, which was soon discontinued (only 162 units).

Both SP models suffered from a certain lack of performance; According to a contemporary joke, the SP stood in the model name for Sem Potência , Brazilian for "no performance". Despite its sleek shape, the SP was significantly slower than the Puma , for example , although very similar engines were installed here and there. However, the Puma was much lighter because of its GRP body .

The SP had two trunk compartments; a 140 liter compartment under the front hood and a 205 liter compartment in the rear, which was accessible via a large flap. Despite many good properties, the SP found too few buyers. Therefore, in February 1976, SP production was ended. A total of 10,193 copies were made, of which approx. 670 were exported (officially not to Europe). A white copy from 1973 can be seen in the Volkswagen Auto Museum in Wolfsburg. The SP2 cost 29,700 Cruzeiros in Brazil (around 16,000 marks at the time  )

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Technical data VW SP2

Technical data VW SP2
VW SP2:	1600:	1700:
Engine:	4-cylinder boxer engine (four-stroke)
Displacement:	1584 cc	1678 cc
Bore × stroke:	85.5 × 69 mm	88 × 69 mm
Performance at 1 / min:	40 kW (54 DIN PS) at 4200	48 kW (65 DIN PS) at 4600
Max. Torque at 1 / min:	112 Nm at 2600	123 Nm at 3000
Compression:	7.2: 1	7.5: 1
Mixture preparation:	2 downdraft carburetors Solex 32 PDSIT	2 downdraft carburetors Solex 34 PDSIT
Valve train:	Central camshaft, drive via gears
Cooling:	Air cooling (fan)
Transmission:	4-speed gearbox, center shift rear-wheel drive
Front suspension:	Double crank arm axle, transverse torsion bars
Rear suspension:	Pendulum axle, trailing arm, balancing spring, transverse torsion bars
Brakes:	Disc brakes at the front (diameter 27.8 cm), drum brakes at the rear
Steering:	Worm steering
Body:	Sheet steel on a central tubular frame
Track width front / rear:	1340/1380 mm
Wheelbase:	2400 mm
Dimensions:	4210 × 1610 × 1160 mm
Empty weight:	890 kg
Top speed:	149 km / h	161 km / h
0-100 km / h:	16.0 sec.	15.0 sec.
Consumption (liters / 100 kilometers, DIN):	8.3 N	8.0 N

SP3

VW SP3 prototype

To remedy the lack of performance in SP1 and SP2, the factory developed the SP3 prototype . It was an SP2 with a water-cooled 1.8-liter in-line four-cylinder, a compression of 8.5: 1, double carburetors and an output of 100 SAE-PS; the machine came from the Brazilian version of the VW Passat TS.

At the plant itself, the project did not get beyond an early development stage, but a prototype was built at the large Volkswagen dealer Dacon. It differed from the SP2 by its 6J × 13 rims (from the Passat), the air intakes gave way to discrete slots on the rear side windows and a wide black radiator grille sat above the front bumper. The engine remained in the rear, the compressor for the air conditioning was also located in the engine compartment . In the front, however, was the water cooler. In the interior there were leather-covered Porsche seats (Dacon had also been a Porsche dealer until the import ban). Transmission , chassis and brakes (front discs, rear drums) corresponded to the SP2, but the parts of the higher performance were adapted and reinforced. The prototype reached a top of 180 km / h.

For cost reasons, the factory decided not to let the SP3 go into series production and ended the project. Dacon then offered the conversion to the SP3 on its own. Due to the extremely high price, the demand was very low.

Web links

Commons : Volkswagen SP2  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Automobil Revue , Catalog 1973 (technical data)
• Page about the Volkswagen SP2 (German / English / Portuguese)
• Page to VW SP2 (Portuguese)
• Photo archive for SP2 (German)
• Sporty exotic: VW SP2 , DW-TV - Motor mobil from 8/9. May 2018 (YouTube)