RE: Volkswagen Corrado VR6: PH Heroes

[RedSpike66]

Absolutely loved my Corrado... Was a real head turner back then and still is for me, plus handling, performance, sound - was the best car I've owned at the time and still in my Top 3 today.... Some lovely examples posted up - well done you lucky devils on keeping hold of them. For some reason, scum-bags were always trying to nick mine so eventually let it go - if only I had a garage I might have kept it.

Edit - I would have, should have kept it !! :-(

[dvshannow]

I like this car think its a popular classic now, there is one in immaculate condition that is used as a daily driver to the train station I use and think it looks great

[ClockworkCupcake]

I saw one out on the road relatively recently and I couldn't believe how small and compact it looked by today's standards.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I had one of the first VR6 in the UK. If you look carefully it first came mis-built with BBS rather than the UK Speedlines



I loved it

[ClockworkCupcake]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I had one of the first VR6 in the UK.

Ironically, I had one of the last - registered in March 1996.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

ClockworkCupcake said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I had one of the first VR6 in the UK.

Ironically, I had one of the last - registered in March 1996.

[s m]

j_s14a said:

Andy JB said:

My uncle had 3x Corrado's a 16v, a VR6, and a VR6 Storm in Green - when he sold it he offered it to me as first refusal which i was very keen to buy at the time as he looked after them well & drove only a few miles.

Unfortunately i had recently sold my Saab 900 Turbo for a Rover 620Ti (i know) and recall feeling rather under whelmed by the VR6 on an extensive test drive, the engine in particular did not feel its full quota of bhp, although this may may be down to the turbo torque i had become used too, and the handling didn't feel particularly inspiring even after the Rover, which was probably better than it should have been So i didn't make the change at the time.

Hindsight is a great thing!

I should think the suspension was tired if that is the case, the Corrado is one of the most inspiring front wheel drive cars I've driven. Not quite as capable as a DC2 Integra, but a much nicer car to drive on the road.

G60 did well vs the 944 in one of the classic CAR mag Giant Tests - got the overall nod over the Porsche

[j_s14a]

Something worth mentioning is the cable gear change. God knows what VW were thinking, it's rubbish. It's smooth enough, but it just lacks any kind of feel. Shame really as the steering is beautifully weighted.

[J.C...]

MDMA . said:

The period upgrade for these was the Schrick VGI manifold and a set of 268 cams. Made about 220bhp and looked stunning under the bonnet.

Schrick??? Pffffttttt - VSR is where it's at...

[kambites]

TaylotS2K said:

My friend has one. Good looking from the outside - but boy the interior is woefully cheap looking.

I think "old" is fairer than "cheap. It's very much a product of the 80s and that shows but it looks no worse inside than its competition from the time.

[ClockworkCupcake]

J.C... said:

Schrick??? Pffffttttt - VSR is where it's at...

Oh you fitted the CDA! I always wanted one of those but nobody would tell me if it would fit or not (mainly because back then nobody had tried).

The VSR is as rare as rocking horse st, and is actually slightly inferior to the VGI as Dr. Schrick took the VSR and improved it. Although it was a glaring oversight that you had to remove the damn thing every time you wanted to change the plugs.

I searched high and low for a genuine VSR because I was going for the OEM+ look and it would have made the car look so much more original, but in the end had to settle for a de-badged Schrick VGI (so mine had a smooth panel on the top rather than the words "Schrick").


VR6 + VGI


VR6 + VGI

Edited by ClockworkCupcake on Thursday 2nd March 09:33

[Joe M]

Loved mine, best mod I done was definately the quaife differential. Also had koni coilovers, eibach arb's, schrick vgi and 268 cams. Used to be all over evo's and sti's round the corners at knockhill. Supercharger would have been nice but they seemed a bit underdeveloped at the time with many issues. The brakes were also seriously lacking even with the later golf vr6 brake upgrade.
Sold it for £1000 back in 2009

[culpz]

I still think VW should re-release a modern interpretation of the Corrado, just like they did with the Scirocco. I'm pretty sure it won't ever happen but you never know. Even if they killed off the Scirocco, which i actually really like, in favor of it.

[Scottie - NW]

Came so close to buying one of these in about 1996, but in the end plumped for the S13 Nissan 200sx with the pop up headlights.

The Nissan had the benefit of RWD, and had huge tuning potential as well for relatively little.

I think I made the correct choice looking back

[J.C...]

ClockworkCupcake said:

J.C... said:

Schrick??? Pffffttttt - VSR is where it's at...

Oh you fitted the CDA! I always wanted one of those but nobody would tell me if it would fit or not (mainly because back then nobody had tried).

The VSR is as rare as rocking horse st, and is actually slightly inferior to the VGI as Dr. Schrick took the VSR and improved it. Although it was a glaring oversight that you had to remove the damn thing every time you wanted to change the plugs.

I searched high and low for a genuine VSR because I was going for the OEM+ look and it would have made the car look so much more original, but in the end had to settle for a de-badged Schrick VGI (so mine had a smooth panel on the top rather than the words "Schrick").


VR6 + VGI


VR6 + VGI

Edited by ClockworkCupcake on Thursday 2nd March 09:33

Yeah although I doubt it makes any difference to the performance, the CDA sounds absolutely fantastic. Definitely a worthy upgrade. I've heard that about the Schrick but I bet out on the road the difference would be barely noticeable, if at all. I just love the rarity value of the VSR and the reaction from people who know what it is.

[ClockworkCupcake]

J.C... said:

I've heard that about the Schrick but I bet out on the road the difference would be barely noticeable, if at all. I just love the rarity value of the VSR and the reaction from people who know what it is.

Oh, absolutely. I'd have chosen a VSR over a VGI any day (depending on price) for exactly those reasons.

The VSR is what should have been on the car in the first place but was deleted on cost grounds by the bean counters. It then got sold to Schrick to recoup some of the costs, who then developed it further and offered it as an after-market part (and a rather ugly one, I might say).

I think VW missed a trick with the run-out Storm model - if they had fitted a VSR to it as standard then it would have been an order of magnitude more desirable than it is. After all, a Storm is just a late model VR6 with a load of optional extras specced as standard, a different set of wheels, a CD player, and a badge. They could have made it really special with a VSR, and would also have finally made the car they intended to as well.

Edited by ClockworkCupcake on Thursday 2nd March 17:58

[sim16v]

Had a few over the years, 16v, G60 and VR6

I preferred this modification under the bonnet..

[J.C...]

ClockworkCupcake said:

J.C... said:

I've heard that about the Schrick but I bet out on the road the difference would be barely noticeable, if at all. I just love the rarity value of the VSR and the reaction from people who know what it is.

Oh, absolutely. I'd have chosen a VSR over a VGI any day (depending on price) for exactly those reasons.

The VSR is what should have been on the car in the first place but was deleted on cost grounds by the bean counters. It then got sold to Schrick to recoup some of the costs, who then developed it further and offered it as an after-market part (and a rather ugly one, I might say).

I think VW missed a trick with the run-out Storm model - if they had fitted a VSR to it as standard then it would have been an order of magnitude more desirable than it is. After all, a Storm is just a late model VR6 with a load of optional extras specced as standard, a different set of wheels, a CD player, and a badge. They could have made it really special with a VSR, and would also have finally made the car they intended to as well.

Edited by ClockworkCupcake on Thursday 2nd March 17:58

I was about to buy an Oettinger version of the Schrick when I came across the VSR for a lot less money and less than Schricks were going for at the time so couldn't turn it down. Totally agree about the Storm - why people go all out for a Storm is beyond me, the price premium over a standard just doesn't warrant it imo. I suppose the cost factor of the VSR was just one cost too far for the accountants, bearing in mind the Corrado was a very expensive car at the time which was the major factor in its poor sales, and adding the VSR would have made it more so.

[sas782b]

I owned a Sherry Red pearl VR6 for around three years and sold it in 2006 for pretty much what I paid for it (to a nice chap who owned several) so they were holding value even back then.

I recall that the VR6 was featured on Top Gear along with the Cosworth fettled 190E 2.3-16v as a future classic.

Mine was replaced with a brand new 8P S3 which sounded rubbish in comparison although it was obviously a more competent car! Also one of my top three cars I have owned, for the handling, sound and flexibility of the engine. I remember being impressed by mid range torque in particular. I still miss mine.

[RadoVR6]

I had mine as a daily driver for about 6 years and sold it just before it got to 100k miles.

By far the best car I have owned and got loads of glaces in it.

The headlights were atrocious though. Even with super duper bulbs they were bad!



Looks like it hasn't been MOT'd for a few years now which doesn't look good.