Re: VR6 vs. V6

[Brian Gracek <bgracek@cloudnet.com>]

>Since I'm just a dumb electrical engineer, can someone elighten me on
>the difference between the Jetta GLX VR6 engine and that of the Passat
>GLX V6?  I know the Jetta is a 15° and the Passat is 90°.  But that
>doesn't help me much.  Is the VR6 designation a marketing hype or is
>there a real difference between the Passat V6?

The VR6 was designed to fit where a transverse four cylinder would.  The
VR6 is compact.  It VR6 was also designed with the possbility of a diesel
being based on the engine bloc (as with all VW 4-cyls).   The VR6 has a
single cylinder head, and 2 valves per cylinder.

The Audi (passat) V-6 is a 60 degree vee.  (notice the 15 and 60 are
multiples of each other and both divide into 720, the ammount of crank
rotation between power strokes...this aids in vibration cancelation)

The Audi V-6 (passat) has one head per cylinder bank (thus two heads) and 5
valves per cylinder (too tight to squeeze all that engineering into the
single VR6 head).  Thus, there is the potential to have more air (and thus
more power output) through the Audi V6.

There are engineering and practical advantages to each design.  Yes, there
is always that marketing hype, but the differences are REAL!

***********************************************************
Brian  Gracek			Saint Cloud, Minnesota, USA

"On the road of life"...There are 'windshields', and there are 'bugs'
		          (splat!)

		"Squeegees Wanted"