Extreme Golf-ing

From 1999 to 2002, I ran a Mk 3 Golf VR6 as my daily ride. I first fell for the VR6 way back in 1993 when it was launched in Singapore but could never afford one due to its premium price. Eventually, i got gold of a six-year old black five-door VR6 in 1999. The car might have had three previous owners but it was in immaculate state. Moreover, its last owner was a fellow car enthusiast that i knew and some one who would really take good care of his car. But the biggest draw was the things that he had already done to the car - it had larger Borbet wheels, a raspy sounding Sebring exhaust with DTM style tips, a remapped Superchips ECU, Schrick camshafts, a Neuspeed short shift kit, Koni supension and so on. With all the right mods, the VR6 went like stink and my affair with it lasted for three years.

The three year affair with the VR6 was full of ups and downs. It'll put a big grin on my face (as well as anyone else who drive it) whenever i opened the throttle to listen to that magnificent narrow angle V6 at full volume, surprising other boy racers on the road with its pace off the line along the way. The VR6's rarity was also another draw - it wasn't often that you'd see another on our roads even back then. The handling though, was far from great - the steering was lifeles and woeful and the big heavy motor up front meant the rear had a tendency to go light and wayward under heavy braking as i discovered during the occassional track session at Pasir Gudang.

SBW72*3A wasn't exactly reliable too - for a long period during the second year of ownership, the engine had trouble idling properly - this meant it might stall at the lights and the additional strain on the starter motor drained the battery several times resulting in many battery changes and jump starts. The problem was eventually traced to a faulty O2 sensor. In fact, the VR6's myriad of sensors failed more often than not. Other niggling issues with the VR6 included a failed gear shift cable - stuck in third gear, i had to nurse the car to the workshop, thank heavens for the engine's torque! Also replaced during the three years was the air-con condenser and radiator. After all, Vee Dub cars from the early 1990s cannot be considered to be the most relable around. When the power steering pump started to fail and leak its fluid whenever it was parked and the engine stalling whenever the car was driven over a puddle of water in the rain, I knew that it was time the VR6 had to go. Just before its nineth birthday, SBW72*3A was sent to the scrap yard and I had gone back to a French hot hatch - the only physical memory of the VR6 I had was the unmistakable plastic engine cam cover with the VW roundel and the words 'VR6 - DOHC' that i removed from the car.

My faith in Vee Dubs and hot Golfs obviously didn't wane. Three years later a Golf was back into my life. Test driving the Golf R recently somehow makes me itch for a VR6 once again. Despite the occassional unreliability, I seriously want a Mk 3 VR6 again - it has the soul and character that today's Golf R doesn't have. Anyone knows of any good and affordable ones for sale?

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by VW