Pour one out, everyone. Another legendary internal combustion engine has just met its end. This time, it’s Volkswagen’s narrow-angle VR6 engine, which has been quietly killed off after almost 34 years and nearly 1.87 million units.
The news was confirmed on LinkedIn by Volkswagen communications manager Andreas Schleith, who announced that the final example of the six-pot engine was built on 12 December.
The VR6 was first introduced as a 2.8-litre in 1991 in the third-generation Passat and the Corrado coupe. It stands out from most other V6 engines thanks to its unique layout. Its two banks of cylinders are offset from one another, allowing the engine’s V-angle to be extremely narrow – almost halfway between a V6 and straight-six. This means only a single cylinder head is required, cutting down on manufacturing costs.
Since its introduction, it’s found its way into countless cars from the VW Group empire. Most have worn VW badges, but versions have also featured in the Audi TT and A3, Porsche Cayenne, Skoda Superb, and even a rare Euro-market four-wheel drive version of the original SEAT Leon. It also spawned an even weirder VR5, which saw limited use in some VWs and SEATs in the late ’90s and early ’00s.
It’s also occasionally been used in some oddities outside of the VW Group, including some low-volume sports cars, a Mercedes people carrier and, erm, some forklift trucks. It reached its performance peak with the 3.6-litre, 295bhp version fitted to the Passat R36 and second-gen Porsche Cayenne.
In recent years, though, as turbocharged four-cylinder engines and smaller V6s have increasingly handled the job previously done by the VR6, its usage dwindled to a couple of Chinese-market SUVs – the Volkswagen Talagon and Audi Q6 (not to be confused with the electric Q6 available in Europe).
The VR6 was at its most powerful in the Passat R36
Now, it’s been dropped in those cars too, and the VR6 is no more. The VW Group does still produce a six-pot – the turbocharged TFSI found in various Audis and Porsches – but it’s a much more traditional V6 than the characterful narrow-angled weirdo that was the VR6. Rest in peace, you strange but lovely-sounding motor.
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