Volkswagen Corrado
Encyclopedia
The Volkswagen Corrado is a hatchback
coupé
developed by German automaker Volkswagen
and built by Karmann
in Osnabrück
, Germany
, between 1 September 1988 and 31 July 1995.
Conceived as a successor to the successful Scirocco
, it is a three-door hatchback
with a 2+2 seating layout. The Corrado used Volkswagen's B3 platform
in the rear of the car, while using the A2 platform technology up front, which it shared with the then-current Golf Mk2
and Jetta
. It shared many mechanical parts with other Volkswagen A platform
cars as well. In 1990 the Corrado went on sale in the United States
.
The Corrado offered exceptional handling for its time, and was listed as one of the "25 Cars You Must Drive Before You Die" by the British magazine, Car. All models featured an innovative rear spoiler which automatically raised when the vehicle reached a set speed (45 - 60 mph depending on the region and model). On the BBC
television show Top Gear, host Richard Hammond stated that the Corrado "... was too expensive, and nobody bought it", thus it reached a production total of just 97,521 vehicles.
and featured petrol engine
s. It debuted with two engine
choices: a 1.8 litre, 16-valve
, inline-4 with 136 bhp as the base model (only available in Europe
) and a supercharged 1.8 litre, 8-valve inline-4, marketed as the G60
, and delivering 160 bhp. The G60 is named for the G-Lader with which it is equipped, a scroll
supercharger whose interior resembles the letter "G".
Volkswagen introduced two new engines for 1992. The first was a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre, 16 valve, 136 bhp inline-4, basically a further development of the 1.8 litre engine; this engine was not made available to the North American market. The second was the highly-regarded 12-valve VR6 engine
which came in two variants: a 2.8 litre 179 bhp model for the US and Canadian markets and a 2.9 litre and 192 bhp version for the European market. In the United States the VR6 model was marketed as the Corrado SLC (sport luxury coupe). With the introduction of the VR6 engine, the G60 engine disappeared from the North American market after 1992 and European market in 1993. The VR6 engine was revolutionary at the time because it provided a compromise between both V-shaped and straight engines, by placing the two cylinder banks at an angle of 15° with a single cylinder head. This design allowed engineers to fit a six-cylinder engine
into roughly the same space that was previously occupied by four-cylinder engines, while closely approaching the smoothness of a straight-six design. 1994 was the last model year of the Corrado in the United States. Canada was lucky enough to have had 87 VR6 Corrados made for the 1995 model. Only about 25 of these are still on the road today.
A 2.0 litre eight-valve model 115 bhp was produced in Europe in 1995. Production ceased in Europe with 213 models made. Along side this a UK-only limited production model was sold, the Corrado VR6 Storm. Some discreet "Storm" badging, a colour-keyed front grille, 15 inch BBS "Solitude" alloy wheels, and standard fitment of some previously optional items (such as the leather heated front seats) were all that differentiated this model from the base Corrado VR6. Only 500 were produced, 250 in Classic Green with a cream leather interior, and 250 in Mystic Blue, a colour unique to the Storm, with a black leather interior.
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
developed by German automaker Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and built by Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
in Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, between 1 September 1988 and 31 July 1995.
Conceived as a successor to the successful Scirocco
Volkswagen Scirocco
The Scirocco is a 3-door Coupe manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.-Etymology:...
, it is a three-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
with a 2+2 seating layout. The Corrado used Volkswagen's B3 platform
Volkswagen B platform
The Volkswagen Group B platform is a mid-size automobile platform from the Volkswagen Group. It has been used for saloon cars/sedans, estate cars/station wagon, and coupés - under the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT and Škoda marques over the years....
in the rear of the car, while using the A2 platform technology up front, which it shared with the then-current Golf Mk2
Volkswagen Golf Mk2
The Volkswagen Golf Mk2 succeeded the Mk1 as Volkswagen's volume seller from 1983 and remained in production until late 1992. In comparison to its predecessor, its wheelbase grew slightly , as did exterior dimensions . Weight was up accordingly by about...
and Jetta
Volkswagen Jetta
Although the Golf had reached considerable success, in the North American markets, Volkswagen observed that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration...
. It shared many mechanical parts with other Volkswagen A platform
Volkswagen A platform
The Volkswagen Group A platform is an automobile platform shared among compact and mid-size cars of the Volkswagen Group.It was originally based on the engineering concept of the Volkswagen Golf Mk1, and is applicable to either front- or four-wheel drive vehicles, using only front-mounted...
cars as well. In 1990 the Corrado went on sale in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Corrado offered exceptional handling for its time, and was listed as one of the "25 Cars You Must Drive Before You Die" by the British magazine, Car. All models featured an innovative rear spoiler which automatically raised when the vehicle reached a set speed (45 - 60 mph depending on the region and model). On the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television show Top Gear, host Richard Hammond stated that the Corrado "... was too expensive, and nobody bought it", thus it reached a production total of just 97,521 vehicles.
Variants
Launched in late 1988, (three years before the end of Scirocco production) All Corrados were front-wheel driveFront-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
and featured petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
s. It debuted with two engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
choices: a 1.8 litre, 16-valve
Multi-valve
In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
, inline-4 with 136 bhp as the base model (only available in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) and a supercharged 1.8 litre, 8-valve inline-4, marketed as the G60
G60
G60 refers to an inline-four cylinder automobile petrol engine, which uses a specific method of forced induction - by way of a specific type of supercharger...
, and delivering 160 bhp. The G60 is named for the G-Lader with which it is equipped, a scroll
Scroll compressor
A scroll compressor is a device for compressing air or refrigerant...
supercharger whose interior resembles the letter "G".
Volkswagen introduced two new engines for 1992. The first was a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre, 16 valve, 136 bhp inline-4, basically a further development of the 1.8 litre engine; this engine was not made available to the North American market. The second was the highly-regarded 12-valve VR6 engine
VR6 engine
The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration, consisting of six cylinders. It was developed by the Volkswagen Group in the late 1980s, and evolutions of the original variant are still produced by them....
which came in two variants: a 2.8 litre 179 bhp model for the US and Canadian markets and a 2.9 litre and 192 bhp version for the European market. In the United States the VR6 model was marketed as the Corrado SLC (sport luxury coupe). With the introduction of the VR6 engine, the G60 engine disappeared from the North American market after 1992 and European market in 1993. The VR6 engine was revolutionary at the time because it provided a compromise between both V-shaped and straight engines, by placing the two cylinder banks at an angle of 15° with a single cylinder head. This design allowed engineers to fit a six-cylinder engine
VR6 engine
The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration, consisting of six cylinders. It was developed by the Volkswagen Group in the late 1980s, and evolutions of the original variant are still produced by them....
into roughly the same space that was previously occupied by four-cylinder engines, while closely approaching the smoothness of a straight-six design. 1994 was the last model year of the Corrado in the United States. Canada was lucky enough to have had 87 VR6 Corrados made for the 1995 model. Only about 25 of these are still on the road today.