RE: VW Golf VR6 | Spotted

[greenarrow]

I don't think the MK3 Golf GTI and variants quite deserve the drubbing they get these days. If you search out the original Autocar road tests you will see that the 8 valve outscored most opposition and the 16 valve despatched its opposition too. Admittedly hot hatches were at an all time low ebb at the start of the 90s due to the insurance crisis, but its certainly not fair to say the Mk3s were totally awful and off the pace as some revisionists do now. Well, at least not until the hot 306s started appearing in about 1993 or 1994.

That said, the article on this VR6 makes me appreciate what an under-rated and under-valued modern classic the MK5 Golf GTI is. For half the price of this VR6 you could get yourself into a tidy Mk5 which will do almost everything better, except I suppose in the noise department, as the VR6 did sound nice! So for me, the advice would be, the MK3 boat has pretty much sailed, get yourself a MK5 whilst they are still cheap and hang onto it!!

[NGK210]

Nose-heavy and floaty. No thanks. (Oy vey - how much??!!)
Get a real Mk3 GTI - ie, the 150bhp 16v version - fit aftermarket springs and dampers that'll inevitably be better quality and more sophisticated than the OEM cost-cutting crap, and then enjoy a nimble and sturdy hot hatch that's lighter and torsionally stiffer than a 306 GTi-6, albeit lacking the latter's 6th cog.

[Xcore]

Slow, rusty but sound nice.

[Heathwood]

Had one of these a couple of decades ago. It was st.

[MDMA .]

The Vento VR6 was the better car. It had an extra 60kg of weight from the C-pillar back. That little bit extra on the back axle made all the difference.

[cerb4.5lee]

I've never been a big fan of the Golf(or VWs in general), however I do love V6s a lot though. So I wouldn't mind a go in this to see what it is like, and I've always liked the R32 as well.

[Bencolem]

When I bought a V6 4Motion back in 2001 and friend bought a used Mk3 VR6 and I remember being stuck by just how much more entertaining the VR6 was to drive. I remember it getting panned (that CAR magazine coverage) and misunderstood for being a ‘mini-GT’ rather than a hot hatch; but - despite its interior made from yogurt pots and general ‘cheapness’ it was much better to drive than the V6 4Motion.

I think that just as time has been kind to the 964 RS (panned as being too stiff when new and now revered) people underestimate how much fun this VR6 would be today in the context of modern times.


Get it rust protected and enjoy…

[Drinksleeprepeat]

Still amazed that a 30 year old Golf, whatever the model, commands that price

Edited by Drinksleeprepeat on Wednesday 27th March 20:54

[BunkMoreland]

fantheman80 said:

Who remembers the advert with the beetles racing...? VW have done some great ads over the years

Yep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUgyMQXuOZU

I know its not the last word in great drive, but I have fond memories of a Burgundy 3 door P reg. Lowered on Konis. And a Remus exhaust.

How wonderfully early 2000s

[TeaVR]

I've owned two, both Highlines. Loved them.

Ok, they were not razor sharp, but for the road, they were still fun.

Anyway, it was all about that creamy engine.

[5harp3y]

mk3s are coming up but not 10k worth, the 16v is a MUCH better idea than a VR6

one of the best sounding engines

best thing about the Vr6 is ripping rusty ones apart to fit the engines to mk2's

[Joe M]

Boom78 said:

I think people are harsh on the Golf VR6 when criticising its handling and general sportiness. It wasnt supposed to be a super hot racer, it was a cruiser and did it very well at it. Engine sounded great with an aftermarket cone filter too. Oddly the corrado VR6 gets plenty of plaudits and a cult following but was equally front heavy and not great at corners.

Corrado had a better weight distribution and handled way better. Also had a slightly larger 2.9 engine and shorter gearing... Made all the difference. Build quality was shocking though.

[DaveEvs]

I’m on the fence with this.

For: lovely VR6, which I’ve driven and loved in mk4 version. Also possibly the last car to have additional warning lights on the facia, rather than in the instrument cluster (a sad thing, but I remember early Sierras…)

Against: I’ve not driven a mk3 VR6, but the TDI I am familiar with torque steered a lot. Also needs a metallic 90’s colour, not Yuppie Red.

Was the engine in the “v6” mk4 4motion actually a VR6? My memory fails me…

Edited by DaveEvs on Wednesday 27th March 22:39

[CarlosSainz100]

I've had a 16v version of these; I have fond memories of it as it was my first 'proper' car. I still remember being really proud of of it. It was in that deep purple VR6 colour and with the red 16V badges front and back it looked absolutely brilliant.

My mate at the time had a GTi-6 which was better to drive in every way, the Golf drove like a tank in comparison.

Anyway, cool story bro and all that. I'm not sure I'd want to pay 10k for one though.

[Joe M]

DaveEvs said:

I’m on the fence with this.

For: lovely VR6, which I’ve driven and loved in mk4 version. Also possibly the last car to have additional warning lights on the facia, rather than in the instrument cluster (a sad thing, but I remember early Sierras…)

Against: I’ve not driven a mk3 VR6, but the TDI I am familiar with torque steered a lot. Also needs a metallic 90’s colour, not Yuppie Red.

Was the engine in the “v6” mk4 4motion actually a VR6? My memory fails me…

Edited by DaveEvs on Wednesday 27th March 22:39

Heavily updated version, 24v of instead of 12 and I think a variable inlet manifold?
Cylinder layout was still the same vr6 format.

[nickpan]

The one to go for was the Highline in that dark purpley colour but with the full black leather (rather than matching purple which was overkill) and dare I say it the slush box which really suited its GT-esque character.

I remember being a passenger in one driving through Hampstead (London) in the 90s and the driver at the time engaging "kickdown" on the way up the hill.

Good memories.

[MDMA .]

nickpan said:

The one to go for was the Highline in that dark purpley colour but with the full black leather (rather than matching purple which was overkill) and dare I say it the slush box which really suited its GT-esque character.

I remember being a passenger in one driving through Hampstead (London) in the 90s and the driver at the time engaging "kickdown" on the way up the hill.

Good memories.

The Highline only came in Black Magic Pearl or Purple Violet. The trim colour matched the exterior. No other option. A lot of people optioned the Purple Violet, but they were never Highline cars. So in effect, you couldn’t have a Purple Violet Highline with black leather, but you could have a standard VR6 in that colour with black leather.

[MDMA .]

Just dug out the sales brochure from when I had mine.

[nikaiyo2]

ste when new, IMHO the worst hot hatch ever.

I had a P reg Highline in 2004/5 maybe. Seemed very very heavy, felt slow even by the standards of the day, drunk fuel like it was going out of fashion, not that reliable. Like I said ste.

Replaced it with a Clio 172, vastly incomparably better car in every respect. Why would anyone spend £10K on it now?

[BFleming]

Bencolem said:

... despite its interior made from yogurt pots and general ‘cheapness’…

I drove a lot of Mk3 Golfs as hire cars back in the early 1990s. The build quality was infinitely better than the other cars I was occasionally given. The Peugeot 306 stands out - for the wrong reasons. That said, some of the cars had electical gremlins - a fate I thought unique to the Mk4 Golf. Mostly lights and wiper issues.