‘ After 33 years in production and nearly 1.87 million engines, the VR6 has left an indelible mark on automotive history’
The VR6 concept had a long life, 33 years, finally appearing in the China-only VW Teramont
‘ After 33 years in production and nearly 1.87 million engines, the VR6 has left an indelible mark on automotive history’
Audi Quattro. The VR6 had been a Piëch-style project, and he was keen to make the most of this weird engine.
Volkswagen and Piëch, proud of the new engine, and knowing that if it fit transversely into one of its frontengined front wheel drive cars it would fit in all of them, liberally applied the VR6 to almost its entire range. Along with the Passat, Golf and Corrado, the Jetta, Sharan and even the T4 Transporter were all available with the narrowangle VR6.
An increase in bore size to 82mm produced a 2.9-litre version in 1994 with 187hp, but the same amount of torque as the 2.8. Most cars for the European market with a VR6 got the new capacity engine, and a four-wheel drive six-cylinder Mk3 Golf was launched, the VR6 Syncro.
A major step in the VR6’ s development came when VW wanted to double the engine’ s valve count. As if the head wasn’ t complex enough. Yet, the new 24-valve VR6 head, in some respects, becomes more conventional. The two cams become more like those of an inline twin cam motor, one operating the inlet valves and the other the exhaust. In this engine, the valves are angled, creating hemispherical combustion chambers. Still, naturally, one trio of cylinders gets a short air path from the inlet to the valve, while the others have a longer run. Along with the new 24-valve head, the engine got a capacity increase to 3189cc, thanks to a bore of 84mm and a stroke of 95.9mm.
Summer 2026 The Engine Rebuilder 23