Re: Re v/vr 6's

[Eliot Lim <eliot@u.washington.edu>]

On Mon, 13 Nov 1995 PDQSHIP@aol.com wrote:

> >ok, you are talking about the manufacturer's specification of an engine
> for its required role.  you are saying that "i am building car X.  and
> for this car X, i need an engine of the following specs"
> 
> You bet.....  Why would you chance doing any other way, too many successes
> are built on this idea

because the current situation is exactly what i am describing below.
it is not the case that the passat has been built and is in search
for a new engine.  the engines are already there.  one has to choose
one or the other.  so one considers each engine independent of the car
that it is installed in.  logical, no?

> >right now, there are two very clear and distinct choices to power the
> new passat.  my preference is for the vr6.  its future development
> potential is irrelevant at this point, because the current audi engine
> is not significantly superior.
> 
> But, that is THE short term solution agument that got VW in trouble to begin
> with....  Pick one, and stick with it.....  To me the power potential of the
> Audi 6, and its current refinement is enough to make that choice clear......
>  Take a long term stand on this eliot/vw, repeating a G60 fiasco with the vr6
> fiasco is just not smart thinking in my opinion

once again, it's simply looking at it from completely different points
of view.  you are looking at it from the corporate/profitability point
of view, and believe it or not, i agree with you 100%.

HOWEVER!  to the joe average buyer, the 30 valve twin turbo V6 is
vaporware.  it does not exist right now, at least not in the
showrooms.  the joe average buyer is going to get a 172 bhp engine,
regardless.  what the engine is capable of in the future is truly
irrelevant to joe average buyer.  why should joe average buyer care,
unless he owns lots of VW stock?

the VR6 may turn out to be a marketing disaster, but that should in no
way detract from its current list of technical virtues.  it is sweeter
and more responsive than the audi v6 and it makes far better sounds.
that is the reason why i would want it over the other.  the audi v6 is
too lexus-characterless for my liking.

i am assuming of course that the vast majority of owners will not
undertake any efforts to increase power output, especially from a non
turbo engine.  perhaps your opinions are influenced by aftermarket
considerations, which is perfectly valid... but really, this is just a
matter of looking at things from different angles.


eliot