VW cars get a third-party VR6 crate engine option

HPA Motorsports, a company renowned for its Volkswagen- and Audi-based projects, has introduced a new crate VR6 engine compatible with many four-cylinder VW models. The mill churns out 550 metric horsepower.

The VR6 presents a middle ground of sorts between inline-six and V6 engines. Its cylinders are laid out at an angle as small as 15 degrees, which enables using just one cylinder head assembly and keeping the block relatively compact. The main advantage of such a design is that it fits seamlessly into the VW engine bay originally designed for an I4 engine.

Once there, the 2.5-liter mill can be tuned to produce up to 550 PS (542 hp / 404 kW) and 745 Nm (550 lb-ft) of torque. Judging by the photos, the company designed it for the Golf Mk7. The Drive reports that the development took two years to finish.

Volkswagen AG itself used to install VR6 engines in its cars in the past. One example would be the Golf R32, which came out in the early 2000s.