Volkswagen SP2: All You Need To Know 

Beautiful car. If VW continued manufacturing this car with improved engine power , it would have been a worldwide success.

In Brazil it’s difficult to make heavy modifications to the car and keep it legal. They don’t want you changing anything on the car for registration purposes.

You should definitely do this build! My Dad had an SP2 when I was a 13 year old kid. I taught myself to drive it and used to take it for joy rides everyday after both parents left for work (I was late for school A LOT). We both miss this car and would LOVE to see you build one!!

Parabéns . É a primeira vez que vejo um estrangeiro elogiando um carro feito no Brasil, para brasileiro. Com o que tínhamos, fizemos milagres. Um deles foi o SP2.

It would be a shame to lose the air-cooled simplicity, but even a base-level Boxster engine would give a huge power boost and Boxsters are still kind of a giveaway car right now.

Eu sou do Brasil e nos anos 80 e 90 esses carros valiam muito pouco, ficavam largados nas ruas e fundos de casa, hoje são extremamente raros e caros.

El deportivo brasilero mas lindo de toda la historia 😍😍😍

It is a beautiful car, but adding a twin turbo 911 engine probably isn't the smartest thing to do. For one it would require massive upgrading of the brakes, both front and rear, as well as upgrading the suspension and the chasis to handle all that additional paower and torque. A more sensible upgrade would be upgrading to a built-up type 4 engine, and reworking the gearbox ratios to match the new powerband. I've seen modified type 4 engines in 914s pulling close to 250 HP without a turbo. Trust me, the additional 175 HP over stock on a vehicle that light would fly down the road, and be a blast to drive.

I only heard about the existence of car a few years ago and absolutely loved it the second I saw it. This car is now 50 years old. Same again as me.

Love the video. But as someone who happen to develop a condition of audible sensitive, the soundtrack is kind of a pain to hear, it "hurts" because it's just too loud quite high pitched all the time, making it hard to hear you when the music reach its peak. Everything it's quite fine otherwise. Also I didn't know about this project between VW and Porsche to make a successor for the SP2. It's a shame that this successor didn't came to Brazil...

The SP' have the front of a Brasilia/Variant, the engine of a Kombi/Fusca(Beetle in the US), the Pulma style, and the fame for being slow. Unfaithfully, here in Brasil, they are extremely rare to find, and because they are our classic car, its hard to find one well preserved, and you better have a lot of money to spend on. They were like the poor mans Pulma, as the Pulmas were espensive. It would be a car that would compete with cars like the Ford Maverick, Chevy Opala, wich in the time were the biggest sports cars we would see here. They had the same engine that all the VW popular cars would offer at the time, and they kept offering these engines until the mid 80's. The most popular model, the Gol(not to be confused with GolF, this only came to here in the 3 gen), would have more horsepower and even more sportive trims.

Looks a touch like a Jensen Interceptor that was actually thought out front to back versus slapping two different halves together. That fully kitted one at the onset though? HOLY CANOLI!

That ash grey hot rod is the most beautiful thing in have ever seen

Great looking VW. Really deserved a much much longer production run.

Porsche and VW worked together to build the 914 VW and 914-6 Porsche and now this . Always happy to learn. Thanks.

I have a few very odd obscurities of Automotive history to nominate: The Mazda Roadpacer - 13B wankle powered HQ Holden Kingswood Alfa Romeo Giocattolo - mid mounted 5L Holden V8 powered Alfa GTV Sprint GReddy6 Re-Amemiya Autozam AZ-1 GT Supreme turbo rotary (1996 based on Suzuki Cappuccino micro KEI car) - yes 1 single rotar of the twin rotar 13b was the same capacity as the stock 3cyl engine of the Cappuccino 😲

Sorry Andrew if I heard a lot of baloney coming from this video. You lamented the demise of SP 1, actually VW of Brazil and the interested public was very glad that it quickly disappear. It was an embarrassment to VW of Brazil and those that bought them. I can't really vouch your story about THE reason why VW of Brazil created and produced the SP1 & SP2. In the 1960's VW of Brazil together with Ghia were producing the Karmann Ghia, but between that model and SP 2, it also designed and produced the Karmann Ghia Tc. So, VW of Brazil had a good record of producing "sports" cars. VW of Brazil wanted to conquer a slice of market of sports cars that in the late 60's and early 70's was dominated by Puma, which produced the Puma GT with VW chassis and air cooled engine. Yeap, even for early 1970's standards, the SP 2 was considered under powered but for that, VW of Brazil had plans of SP 3, which you completely missed the ball by omitting in this video. There was a VW dealership that went ahead and shoehorned a VW water cooled engine to a SP 2, but nobody bought it because it was exorbitant expensive. Another baloney:"VW should had put a stronger engine". Even considering all VW engines worldwide produced at that time, there were only the air cooled boxer and the inline water cooled 4 cylinder that came from recently released Golf. So kiddo, no G60, VR6, 5cyl or W8, yet. At that time, the way to gain power was via increasing bore to usually 1800 to 1900cc, but I knew specialized motor shop that could work in a 1600cc all the way to 2200cc. Of course freer flowing headers, more aggressive command and a pair of dual 36 or 40 Weber to complete the package. "600, 700 hp would be great". Another big baloney here. You didn't do your homework. With most mechanical parts of VW type 3, no bueno amigo. Yeah, we seen 1960's Karmann Ghia shoehorned with Chevy LS engine. Who cares about SEMA cars. Not practical well rounded cars. At the end, the SP2 was a flop. It most likely VW didn't recoup money in this project. So that was part why VW didn't went ahead with SP3 project. VW also shot its foot when shortly after launched the 1st gen Passat. One of my older cousins placed an order for a SP2 but there was a long waiting list. So, when the Passat came out, it had a modern water cooled engine, much better sportier suspension and lots of space. in a time when everybody bought cars as daily drivers and few could afford to buy weekenders a lot of potential buyers cancelled the SP2 orders and bought Passats. I hope that in the future you do better homework and less baloney.

You should check our other cars. Since we were "closed out" from the world for a long time, our car culture was (and still is) very different.

There was also a Karmann Ghia exclusive to the Brazilian market, the Karman Ghia TC. This is even less known abroad than the SP1 and SP2.

I'm glad you made this video. I remember them because I had a model of one in '73 (I'm 58).

🥰 saudade de ver os SP2 desfilando pelas ruas de São Paulo. thank for your video! regards my friend!

I just found out this car today, thanks a lot man, very very informative 😊 thanks a lot

Just imported mine!! Cannot wait to get her out and to local events!!

The Beetle did 0-100 kph in 25 seconds, so the 16 sec of the SP-2 was quite an improvement.

Never knew about this car ,amazing

I remember very well the SP-1 ( 1600cc engine) and SP-2 (1700cc engine). Top speed of the SP-2 was about 80mph, not 100mph ...

great video! got your link off FB!

I would love that someone can actually make it better mechanically, because this car could have been the best, with more power and better engine, definitely it will be amazing to see someone doing this on this beautiful car

Definitely hope to see you build an updated version of the SP.

My buddies dad has an vw sp from when he lived in Brazil… it now lives in a garage in mint condition with boxes on it 😢 in either Athens or in Akron… he has houses in both locations

I think it looks like the De Tomaso Mangusta. I absolutely love it. It eventually becomes the Porsche 924 so desrves to be more famous

The SP2 lives in the same category of other seductive cars whose looks promised more power than they had, such as the DeLorean, Pontiac Fiero, or the Buick Reatta.

Very interesting video. What made you think “headache-music” would fit perfectly tho?

such a cool car! They are pretty rare and Id love to see one build in the US!

Hell yeah! it would be a beast at that weight

The dream of any Brazilian gearhead kid born between the 80s and 90s...

Great content

My Dad had one with a worked on corvair engine back in the day

YES!

I will say go for it!!!

I have been looking at the porsche 924 944 models. I heard about the sp2 before knowing about those. I would have never guessed it was a redone sp2. I now know why I want a 944 so bad

Great looking car good presentation would love to see if any of them are in the US

i had a 92 jetta with a 1.8 litre and it was zippy like a gokart........plus it had fantastic velour bucket seats that were incredibly comfy

I have wanted one for a long time

Exelente Amigo. Ahora te falta un VW BRASILIA. Saludos

It would be a great idea

My all time dream build! It's actually Sport Protótipo 2, but São Paulo likes to claim everything 😂😂

Um esporte, com um desenho clássico, q fez sucesso no Brasil, mas não foram fabricados muitos. Esse do vídeo, está simplesmente, um espetáculo...

YES!!!!! Would be so unique in today's selection of clay blob car bodies.

I would think the Corrado Vw is the closest to the SP2 design for a more modern update look it's right on the money.

I agree.. the best looking VW and until recently never knew about it. Need to bring it back in a modern rendered version.

Those widebody’s were so tastefully done, would love to build one like that someday

I have 1 to restare... maybaru engine works?

Espero que já esteja pronto o carro mais bonito do Brasil

Sadly, my buddies dad won’t sell me the car, apparently it’s promised to one of his other sons…I shall keep hustling

Amazing looking car. I think i would go jdm motor (subaru flat 4 or mazda 20b)

why so many people is crazy about 0-60, I am not i rather a car with a bullet proof mechanics and a reliable one, the car is beautiful and so elegant what else you want. a wild example a Mclaren fi is not the numeber one on the list of super cars for many people but is reliable not just for a few minutes drive and promt to failure.

I like Volkswagens very much, but it's Por-sche, two syllables. Great video, great looking car!

I have an SP2 in South America, working on it, I like the idea to have options to modify and improve the performance, just we have limitation to get parts, I am in CA now, just need someone to guide me on the options I have. Can you help?

Would love to see an SP build . 👍 . Beautiful looking ride . Never seen one driving about before .

From the production time of this car, i'd rather tel it was more a kind of Porsche 914 than a 924 or 928. But good vidéo, thank you for it. Cheers

This would make one hell of a rally car!

I've said for years, this is what they should have brought back as a retro update

Right now is the perfect timing for VW to bring it back. Calling it (VW SP Millenia EV). Offer three options from mild rear wheel drive. Mid AWD. The third option the Performance AWD. If it ever came out again I will definitely by it. And definitely get the performance AWD and rip it through the track against the model 3. Anyone agree? 😅

Andrew VW did build another "sport car" on the type 3 chassis .. as I am sure you know the Karmann Ghia you showed in your clip was on the type 1 chassis ( VW model 14 ) What I wish you had shown was the type 34 .. built from 1961 (model year 1962) was intro at Frankfort auto show with the Square back, fast back, and ghia. They were replaced on the assembly line by the 914 in 1969 The Type 34 was built by Karmann, designed by Ghia on a VW rolling Chassis. ALSO don't forget the Brazilian Karmann Ghia. The result was the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia TC (Touring Coupé), internally known as the Type 145, which began production in 1972 and was produced until 1975. Good clip Andrew I am not being critical Always wanted a SP-2 But still enjoy driving the Type 343 and have people ask ..Why do you have VW hub caps on that Corvair ? LMAO

Put in a Porsche engine, great suspension and better steering? Would that be an epic build on a sexy classic car?

I would love to see the 2 combined and tracked

It was never sold in the USA ! Also there was another sport car in Brazil, the Karman ghia, different from the one build by Karmann in Germany.

Great content & editing, with plenty of facts & visuals. 👍🏼 Music editing is too loud / annoying… tone it down a couple notches under the narration.

of course... Porche-Audi-VW meld... 911 Carrera influence and spin off. Do what we all do and improve on the original design right?! 👌

Amazing. Growing up in L.A. car culture I'd thought I'd heard of just about every oddball car out there but not this one. Would be nice to keep the spirit of the original car but swap in a performance air cooled 2.0L, maybe 140hp. Only 2000 pounds. Better to drive a slow car fast, right?

Nos temos um dos carros mais bonitos 🇧🇷🇧🇷

Yes do it the will be nice

The car looked glorious, but the engine was absolutely pathetic for a sportscar. Nowadays though i reckon that would be an awsome restomod project with a proper engine

Ah yes the Porsche Mustang by BMW of Brazil!

Are you telling me the Porsche 924 was derived from the SP? Now *THAT* I didn't know, do you have any sources for this claim?

Most def

I d go for an '80s air cooled aspirated 3 liter Porsche engine....enough power

From Brazil. É do Brasil🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

Subaru swap? I think Yes! Too bad they are so rare. Best VW ever!

Do It!!!!!!!!!

It's pronounced Porshaa. Porsche family has majority seats on the VW board as well.

I would do like Robert design did, style as The Singer DLS

😁👍

The concept one

I'm not a vw guy but i would like to own a sp

Jag har aldrig hört talas om SP Volkswagen tillverkad i Brasilien.. Går det Inte ändå att ganska enkelt sätta in Porsches betydligt starkare 3 till 400 hästars motorer och drivlina???

How about doing a video on wild BMW E24's ?

Great video, but very annoying background music... I would pick something a little bit more laidback, certainly during speech... I never seen a car like this in the Netherlands tbh, no idea if it was ever sold here!

Errado, no lugar do karman guia, foi colocado em produção o karman guia TC e não o VW variant( conhecinho por vcs como type 3)

It s the same deal in romania, if you want to do something on your car slight chances you get stopped by the police, not 100% strict rules but not many room for imagination or free design either, I my self I m and architect and car designer and I suffer that I can t do much with my b6 a4 audi, oh whell, just enjoy the work that others do and thats that

I just found about about this car today. (May 14 2021)

I had a corrado once.. I'd like to have all the money I sunk into that turd back... I wanted an SP for years.. no way to get one though. not really. Almost bought a Puma kit once too.. glad I didn't though.

Was looking forward to watching this video about this amazing car, had to stop because of ridiculous background music

How about a VW V 8 in a 924?

Even if you just use a 2l golf motor.normal asprated..it would be a great sports performance

mod it totally would be class

Avoid the cost of the Porsche engine and use a Subi WRX or STI motor.

3:20 what was wrong with the Karman Ghia?

One of the best looking car imo but unfortunately its noone fit saké in europe