The practice of dropping a large capacity engine into a relatively small car
is hardly cutting edge. Any five-year-old will tell you that fitting a bigger
engine is a sure-fire way to make a car go faster. This might be a relatively
crude approach but it does have some major advantages compared to traditional NA
tuning, turbocharging or supercharging.
You see, a big cube engine has no driveability compromises.
That’s right – no driveability compromises.
Throttle response is sharp (better than any turbo engine), there are no rpm
zones where the engine falls off-boost or off-cam and, because the engine can
have a relatively low specific output, you can usually get away with using
low octane fuel. The only downsides are increased fuel consumption (which
is difficult to avoid with increased engine capacity) and because of the heavier engine, the potential to upset
the chassis balance of the car.
In this two-part series we’ll take a look at the big cube small cars that are
available. These cars don’t have the high profile of their turbocharged rivals
but they’re certainly out there!
Volkswagen Golf VR6
One of the best examples of a big cube engine in a small car is the 1994
Volkswagen Golf VR6 hatch. While the rest of the third generation Golf range was
gettin’ the job done with 1.8 and 2-litre four-cylinder engines (and a 1.9-litre
turbo diesel), the VR6 came along with 2.8 litres of six-cylinder beef!
Cramming a six-pot into the nose of the Golf was no easy task – there’s no
way the engineers could fit an in-line six into the engine bay longitudinally or
transversely... Instead, Volkswagen built a very tight angle (15 degree) V6 which
uses a single cylinder head with offset combustion chambers. This creates a
six-cylinder engine that’s much narrower than a traditional V6 and has an
overall length similar to a three-cylinder. The packaging of this engine is
marvellous – we’re surprised that other manufacturers haven’t followed suit.
The VR6’s engine is a spirited thing capable of pumping out 128kW at 5800 rpm
with up to 85 percent of peak torque (235Nm) available from 2000 rpm. Think of
it this way – the engine of a medium size sedan in a hatchback weighing just
1180kg. It’s no wonder the 5-speed manual VR6 can roar to 100 km/h in the high 7
second range...
Stir in solid construction, a high level of practicality (all
Australian-delivered examples were 5-door versions), twin airbags, an electronic
diff lock and you’ve got a package that demands your undivided attention.
These are great little weapons which are now available second-hand from about
AUD$10,000. Later models (from 1997) hover around AUD$15,000.
Volkswagen Golf R32
The ultimate Golf – the R32 – was sold in Australia during 2004.
The fourth generation Golf R32 is a steroid poppin’ 3-door hatch that’s
swallowed a humongous 3.2-litre V6 (which is based on the design of the VR6
engine). And the R32 isn’t all about cubes – with its variable inlet and exhaust
cam timing and 11.3:1 compression ratio there’s plenty of
high-performance engineering. Have you ever heard of a hatchback thumping out a
massive 177kW and 320Nm?
Of course, this level of grunt would be too much for just the front wheels to
handle so the Golf R32 also boasts Volkswagen’s 4MOTION AWD system using a
Haldex centre coupling. With AWD traction, Volkswagen claims 0 – 100 km/h
performance is just 6.6 seconds...
The 4MOTION driveline is supplemented by electronic stability control, sports
suspension, 18 inch wheels with grippy tyres and huge brakes to ensure this
beast can travel fast without travelling sideways. The cabin also adds front,
side and curtain airbags to its very comfy leather trim.
With only 200 examples allocated to Australia (each costing in excess of 60
grand) you can now pick up a second-hand Golf R32 from about AUD$50,000. Oh, and
we should point out that an updated fifth generation super-Golf is about to be
released – we can only imagine how insane that will be...
Hyundai Tiburon V6
Here’s a sporty looking coupe to sink your teeth into.
Released in 2002, the Hyundai Tiburon V6 packs a 2.7-litre ‘Delta’ V6 which
is now used in the larger Tucson and Santa Fe AWDs. In Tiburon spec, the DOHC,
24-valve V6 outputs 127kW at 6000 rpm and 245Nm at 4000 rpm. Chuck this in a car
weighing just under 1300kg and you have a package with similar specs to the Golf
VR6.
Coupled to a close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox, this highly underrated coupe
can whip to 100 clicks in a claimed 8.2 seconds. The suspension is also tuned to
deliver balanced handling thanks to numerous revisions over the superseded model
(which felt nervous at the limit) - Sachs dampers, altered spring rates and
geometry. Steering is also sharpened to just 2.6 turns lock-to-lock.
The Tiburon interior features sporty seats and brushed aluminium trim pieces,
a triple gauge cluster, cruise control, trip computer, dual airbags and
practical 50:50 split folding rear backrest. Hyundai also shows its
technological progress with a Control Area Network (CAN) Bus electrical system
and the use of Tailor Welded Blanks in body construction and assembly.
It all hides beneath an attractive, sharp styled coupe with ‘shark gill’
vents in the front guards, dual exhaust outlets, rear spoiler and 17 inch
alloys. Mmmm – a very nice package.
A second-hand 2002 Hyundai Tiburon V6 will currently set you back around
AUD$25,000 while the current updated model cost just under AUD$35,000 new. Test
drives are recommended.
Alfa Romeo 75 3-litre
Back in the late ‘80s, Alfa Romeo was struggling to maintain sales of its
quirky 75 model. So what was the solution? Simple - bung in a big 3-litre V6
designed for the all-new Alfa 164! With the availability of a base 2-litre four
and a 2.5-litre V6, the 3-litre donk gives the 75 real performance.
In many people’s eyes, the 75 looks very outdated but it remains popular
with Alfa enthusiasts and performance junkies willing to look beyond the
mainstream. The big 3-litre V6 (installed as an option from 1988) uses
multi-point injection and SOHC heads to produce a healthy 136kW. Driving through
a rear-mounted 5-speed gearbox and with torque channelled through the rear
wheels, the Alfa 75 3-litre can howl to 100 km/h in around 9 seconds. Throttle
response and flexibility are very strong.
But the Alfa 75 that you really want is the later model version (which is
widely dubbed ‘Potenziata’). From 1990, the Alfa 75’s 3-litre V6 was tuned to
deliver a full 141kW and 250Nm. This extra grunt came from revised EFI, more
aggressive cams and a free-flow exhaust. With no increase in weight (remaining
at around 1285kg), the Alfa 75 3-litre became a 7 – 8 second 0 – 100 km/h
machine. Unfortunately, Alfa 75 V6s are apparently quite nose-heavy and prone to
understeer.
Inside, the 75 is very upright and practical. However, the driving position
is relatively awkward and the interior is now very old fashioned (not to mention
strange with its U-shaped handbrake lever!). Being the top model in the 75
range, the 3-litre V6 scores standard power windows, air conditioning and other
essentials – no airbags of course.
Visually, the 75 was pretty ‘out there’ when released – and that applies even
more so today! Still, it’s proportionally balanced and has plenty of flair which
might appeal to an eccentric kind of owner...
Sold between 1988 and 1992 (with the ‘Potenziata’ update occurring in 1990),
the Alfa 75 3-litre is a relatively rare beast. Prices vary hugely – we’ve seen
an early example with around 240,000km for just AUD$6000 advertised alongside a
low kilometre ‘Potenziata’ for AUD$15,000... Do some shopping and you’ll find
yourself a bargain.
Stick around for the second and final part of the series – we’ll look at a
big cube Peugeot, Mazda, Audi and a coupla Holdens!
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