VW Corrado Review : Classic or not ?

The corrado was vw’s answer to a sports car back in 1989. However in 1993 vw introduced the corrado with it’s innovative VR6 motor which replaced the supercharged four cylinder motor found in previous models. To me vw failed in producing a sports car but they had bred a European muscle car and that’s a good thing.

The stats

The corrado is powered by a 2.9L VR6 motor. The VR6 motor is a hybrid of a flat 6 and V6 where the cylinders are at a 15-degree angle. The engine design has it’s it negatives but it does produce an unforgettable noise and it also also allows for an acceleration from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds.That is fairly quick for a car that is more than 20 years old. The corrado has a power output of 190hp/140kw @5800rpm. Torque sits at 245 Nm and the car has a top speed of 225 km/h thanks to it’s 5 speed manual gearbox.

What’s it like to drive ?

I’ve had the corrado for almost 10 years now and it hasn’t failed to excite me every time I drive it. The thing that is most is the cold start on a cold morning (and waking up the neighbours). The car does seem to give me mixed feelings once it’s out on the road. The throttle response is good and the acceleration is immense. The handling is not bad either considering the car feels pretty heavy. But no car can be perfect…

Over the years there has always been one thing on the car that keeps upsetting me once it’s
out on the road.That just so happens to be the ride. No matter what road you go on the ride
just feels terrible. The car continuously bounces around and makes you feel like you in
bounce house. The word i’m looking for is twitchy. It makes you feel like one wrong input on
the steering will send you off the road. Another thing that doesn’t feel right is the gearbox.
When changing gears,especially from 1 to 2, it feels very rugged and out of sync. The
brakes on the other hand do their job perfectly but brake too hard and don’t be surprised to
feel the rear dancing a little.

Looks

I love the look of the car. The front sits slightly lower than the rear which just enhances the muscle car look. The car has plenty of presence on the road and rarely does it fail to turn heads. The car looks boxy with slight curves and that suites the car perfectly. The big wheels arches give it stance and the adjustable rear spoiler makes it look even faster. The one thing that didn’t suite the car was the stock wheels which is why I decided to change it to a set of BBS wheels.

The interior perfectly matches the exterior. Leather bucket seats and the karmann badge makes you feel all excited. The massive dials as well as the addition of the oil pressure gauge adds the sportier feel to the car. The steering size is perfect for the car however the driving position is a slightly cramped up. The car is no place for your friends as it only has two rear seats.

Verdict

Without a doubt the VW Corrado is a classic of the future especially in South Africa as there is less than 10 in the country. The car makes a great sound and is fast. Even though the ride is not the best it is still a great car and a head turner. So if you have an opportunity to get your hands on one, don’t hesitate.