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WATCH: V5 engines - when a VR6 is too big...

United States - VR6 or better known locally as 'virus' lives among folklore in South Africa. It powered the Golf and Jetta Mk 3 models locally and was known for its deep, rorty V6 engine noise. 

But did you know that Volkswagen developed a VR5 engine? The team at Engineering Explained delve into the technical side of why Volkswagen favoured the V5 engine.  

Engineering Explained says: "V5 engines are a rare anomaly in the automotive world. Honda used a 1.0L V5 engine in motorcycles, with great success, though the setup hasn't been seen in many production cars. VW produced a V5, or more accurately a VR5, for its packaging and power benefits versus a larger VR6, or a smaller inline four cylinder. 

The VR5 engine style, though only requiring two camshafts (SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder, or DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder), has its complications. The intake and exhaust paths are shorter for two of the cylinders, the crankshaft geometry is offset from the cylinder center lines, and ultimately it's not much more powerful than an inline four cylinder. Check out the video for full details about how the engine works. "

Watch: VR5 versus the VR6

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