According to its CEO, the end is nigh for VW combustion engines – time to buy one of the greats?
By Matt Bird / Monday, 3 April 2023 / Loading comments
Perhaps the biggest surprise about the recent admission by Thomas Schafer, VW CEO, that there aren’t many ICE-engined VWs launches left (the next T-Roc in 2025 is penciled in as the last) is that it’s not much surprise at all. You only need to look at how extensive the EV rollout has been, and how ambitious the company’s electrification strategy is, to have guessed that the days of petrol and diesel VWs are numbered. There’s no going back now, especially as – despite some flaws – absolutely bazillions of ID. badged VWs have sold. Why would VW persevere with petrol Passats and diesel Polos when both legislation and customer demand is against them?
Does still seem a bit of shame, though, especially given the history VW has when it comes to making great engines. Of course, it’s natural to think of the daft ones, from W8 this and V10 TDI that to twincharged something else, but the old PD diesels still have quite the reputation, the ubiquitous EA888 2.0-litre TSI is eminently tuneable, and even the little 999cc triple turbo provides an Up GTI with a decent turn of speed. They’re memorable in their own ways, which different battery packs aren’t. Tricky one, right?
The VR6 can undoubtedly stake a claim to being VW’s greatest engine. It was designed for the Corrado, back when that car was intended to be more prestigious than a Scirocco but didn’t have the motor to do that billing justice. Neither a conventional V6 nor straight six would fit in the compact engine bay, so VW reprised an idea first used by Lancia in the 1920s – the narrow-angle V-engine. Where a V6 might normally have 60 degrees between the cylinders, the VR6’s were just 15-degrees apart, using up little more space than a four pot yet delivering the character and performance of a six. Job jobbed.
The claim of best VW engine is up for some debate, but the VR6 undoubtedly made for the best Corrado. The handling remained sorted, the noise was glorious, and the performance was much more appropriate for a flagship coupe. Back in the sports coupe’s early 1990s heyday, the VR6 was the car to beat. Its desirability only increased when the engine made it to the Golf VR6 without such spectacular results.
Three decades after the VR6’s introduction, and with the end of VW engines apparently in sight, they’re still the Corrado to have. This one is interesting as the private car of a selling dealer, in their ownership for 16 years. Now it’s been in storage for that time – somebody knew what they had, even in the mid 2000s – but started, run, and serviced for the duration. With loads of history, seemingly excellent condition and still even on its supplying dealer plates, you get the sense that this really is a reluctant sale. What would it be replaced with? The VW coupe didn’t return after this for more than a decade, when the Scirocco came back, and the VR6 never powered Golfs (or Passats, for that matter) to quite the same effect. The VR6 was designed for the Corrado, and that’s always where it’s felt best.
Once upon a time, there was a Corrado VR6 Shed that was so popular the seller ended up inviting offers over the original asking price. That car was underpriced, but it does go to show the level of affection that’s there for 2.9-litre Corrados. This one feels about right for the current situation at £12,940; there are more expensive, lower mileage ones out there, and the occasional £5k special with an odo reading past 150k. Such is the Corrado’s fame that even four-cylinder cars can command strong money, but it was the VR6 that really secured it hero status. Looks like just the thing to run on synthetic fuel alongside an ID Buzz one day; it’s still going to look and sound fantastic for many years to come.
SPECIFICATION | VW CORRADO VR6
Engine: 2,861cc, V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 190@5,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 181@4,200rpm
MPG: c. 25
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1993
Recorded mileage: 106,987
Price new: £19,895
Price now: £12,940
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