Sure they have. You can't look at the absolute value of its HP and make that statement. The 2003 VR6 is 2.8L 24V engine. Yes it may "only" have 205HP but look where the power comes in at. It has wide power band and has plenty of torque.

The Acura RSX has 2.0L 4 banger that puts out 200HP. Sounds nice but where is the power... at the top end. Not saying that is a bad thing but if your considering a daily driver, you want good midrange power (between 2-4K RPM). It has nowhere near the torque of the VR6.

The Nissan Sentra SE R has a 2.4L engine that delivers 170HP. My old 12V VR6 still delivers more power and more torque than the SE-R and that engine is 10 years old. In terms of power to weight ratio, I can't comment.

The Dodge SRT is essentially a tin can with a big powerplant in it...No where near the elegance of Mk4 Jetta VR6 but that wasn't Dodge's intent. The 2.4L turbo delivers 215HP, not much more than the 24V VR6 (when comparing absolute values). Mating a SC or a turbo on the 24V VR6 will easily get you in the 300HP+ range...

My earlier post quoted 280HP with a Stage 2 SC and that was on the old 12V VR6...

VW is definitely delivering on power, the only problem is that the cars keep getting heavier...

 

lol, as if the Northstar isn't hard enough to work on, buddy puts it in a friggin V-Dub.

Here's some useless information for you(unless you own a caddy)....Did you know, that a tune-up on the Northstar would cost you around $1000? It's true. There is SO much work that has to be done just to change plugs on a Northstar it's not even funny....it's almost worth the 1000 bucks to have the dealer do it for you, trust me I've been there and done that...I even have the t-shirt to prove it.

Not to mention, that what happens when something turns loose in that motor? Unless he makes some serious cash he's gonna find out really quick why people tend to take care of their Caddilacs.

 

Ooops, that would be a 1000 dollar tune-up from the dealer....if you did it yourself it would be MUCH less, but frustrating.

 

mqqball hit the nail on the head. My friend has a 95 GTI with the VR-6, 5 speed, and the thing is a rocket. The midrange power and torque are very very impressive. [img]graemlins/@bow.gif[/img]

 

Oh yes, glad that you feel that all Beetles had swing axle rear suspension! WRONG, after 1968, Type I, II, III and IV (all variations) had independant rear suspension using CV joints inner and outer! Beetles never handled good without modifications, and as far as the 911 and the Beetle, they are both rear engine, but unlike the 356 (which is almost identical floor pan to the Beetle) the 911 has the engine and trans further ahead, and if you have ever pulled an enigne from a 911, you will see that the engine sits dam near on top of the rear axle, not behind it like a Beetle, a slight difference that makes a world of difference. Don't get me wrong, Beetle is always a good car, weight is important; but if you can't handle the power or the cars design, stay home, there's enough wanna be driver's out there already with front wheel drive who have no idea how to keep their car on the road....

 

Slingshot,
you want to hear about an expensive tune up?
try doing it to a 300zx TT...$25/spark plug... wickid cheap... if your coils don't need replacing... if they do, get a second job!
its cheaper to buy a used Jap Z32 engine and install it than it is to have nissan change the imjectors in these cars!!
i envy the Northstar owners!!