Volkswagen is Building a 404-BHP Arteon R
With the VR6, Volkswagen has long the block and the technology to build a truly powerful engine—but always denied it would out of the belief that people wouldn’t buy one. It seems that this will change, as the new 2017 Arteon has emerged as just the kind of car that could use that kind of powertrain.
According to Car Throttle, Volkswagen product line spokesperson Martin Hube confirmed that the automaker has been working on developing a completely new, 3.0-liter, turbocharged VR6 engine that would be used to power the Arteon R-Line, the sportiest of the car’s trims.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise. Currently, the Arteon is motivated only by four-cylinder engines, the best of which isn’t exactly a slouch with 276 brake horsepower. And Volkswagen had practically discontinued the VR6: at the moment, it is only used in the Atlas.
Review: 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
Performance cars are making a comeback on the market, however, and Volkswagen wants a cut of the pie. According to Hube, the new VR6 unit produces 404 brake horsepower and there is already a prototype Arteon fitted with it.
“I’m totally convinced that this combination is extremely nice,” he said, adding, “We’ve combined it with the last version of the Haldex [four-wheel drive system], where you can provoke a bit of oversteer. This is a real agile, powerful car.”
He then added that you could “beat all of the Porsche Panameras out of your way” on the German autobahn. Which serves as a segue into the bad news: it’s not likely that the car will even make it to the UK, much less the United States.
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News Source: CarThrottle
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