It's over. No more Volkswagen and the VR6 engine. The six special cylinders disappeared from Europe but continued in China. But now it's over too.
The era of the VR6 engine is over. After 36 years on the market, Volkswagen has produced the last VR6 engine ever. December 12, 2024 marked the end of an era that began in 1991 with the introduction of the compact six-cylinder engine in the third generation of the Golf.
Unlike traditional V6 engines, which have two cylinder heads, the VR6 engine uses a single cylinder head and has a narrower angle between the cylinder banks.
The unique design allowed Volkswagen to create a compact and powerful engine that found its way into a variety of models, including the Golf, Passat and Corrado. And then, as you can hear in the clip further down in the article, the engine made a very special sound.
The VR6 engine was also used in other cars from the Volkswagen Group, such as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi TT and Skoda Superb.
Although the VR6 engine disappeared from the European market years ago, production continued in the US and China. But now it's finally over. The last VR6 engine has rolled off the assembly line , and production has been shut down after almost 1.9 million units were produced.
The VR6 engine played a crucial role in Volkswagen's ambition to move up into the premium segment. The compact V6 engine delivered a combination of power and refinement that helped give cars like the Golf a more exclusive feel.
Today, however, the VR6 engine's role has been taken over by more efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, such as four-cylinder turbo engines and hybrid powertrains.
The six-cylinder leaves behind a legacy as an innovative and successful engine that has brought driving pleasure to car owners around the world for over three decades. Its unique design and distinctive sound will be remembered by many car enthusiasts.
