With the new displacement and valves, a very strange thing occurred: the VR6 name seemed to disappear. Despite following the same architecture as the VR6, VW called the 24-valve engine a V6. Which it is, in a way, but dropping the R downplays the engine’ s most innovative aspects, so we’ ll continue to call it a VR6.
Named the EA390, the 3.2-litre 24-valve VR6 was first used in the Volkswagen Beetle RSi with 224hp at 6200rpm and 320Nm of torque at 3000rpm. It was then used in the Mk4 Golf R32 with 241hp at 6250rpm and 320Nm between 2800 and 3200rpm, before being installed in the Passat, Passat CC, Eos and T5 Transporter.
Perhaps even more proud of this version, even though it didn’ t shout about its unique narrow-angle V features within its new name, Volkswagen didn’ t keep it for itself. Instead, almost every division of VAG used the engine. Audi put a 250hp version into the first and second generation of the TT and the 8P A3, and Skoda installed a 260hp 350Nm
The VR6’ s narrow-angle V allows for a much shorter block than a straightsix and nowhere near as wide a traditional V6
version into the Superb.
Oddly, the VR6 eventually found its way into the front of a Porsche. Odd, not because the narrow-angle engine wasn’ t suitable for a Porsche, but because it was installed longitudinally in a Cayenne, an engine bay designed to accommodate a twin turbo V8 – one with a more conventional 90 ° angle between each bank. The VR6’ s small dimensions weren’ t necessary for the big SUV, and there were more ordinary V6s within the Volkswagen Audi group that certainly would have fit. Audi’ s 3.2 V6 FSI produced similar power to the VR6 with the same capacity, but it was much more conventional and lacking in character compared with the narrow-angle engine – perhaps that’ s why Porsche chose
24 The Engine Rebuilder Issue 05