Volkswagen VR5: The V5 Engine Everyone Wants To Argue About

Volkswagen VR5: The V5 Engine Everyone Wants To Argue About

Recently on the EngineLabs Facebook page, an infographic was posted showing a “V5” engine configuration, among others. The comment section exploded with commenters claiming there was no such thing as a V5 engine and the graphic incorrectly displayed an inline-five engine.

In fact there have been more than one V5 engines produced throughout history, with the most commercially successful version the Volkswagen VR5. Produced in the late-1990s through the mid-2000s, it was unique in that it had a 15-degree cylinder angle, but a single cylinder head. “It would more appropriately be called the VR5 engine, as it’s a VR6 engine that has chopped off one of the cylinders,” explains Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained.

Luckily, Fenske has created a whole video explaining the odd-duck VR5 (AGZ 2.3-liter, two-valve) engine which makes our life easier. He goes in depth explaining the design, reasoning, as well as the physics behind an inherently imbalanced engine.

As Fenske points out, the VR5 existed as an “in-between” engine option for cars which Volkswagen wanted more power than a four cylinder engine, but less power than a VR6 engine offered. With the physical size of the VR5, it would fit an engine bay designed to fit either option.

The Technical Details

“The firing order is 1-2-4-5-3, so it operates in a clockwise circle,” Fenske points out. “That firing order is the same as an inline-five-cylinder. [The VR5] engine is actually a lot like an inline-five-cylinder that got smashed together and the cylinders kind of bunched up. Dynamically, how everything works is very similar to an inline-five-cylinder.”

While functioning much like an inline-five engine the VR5 definitely was its own animal. Starting with the 15-degree cylinder angle incorporated into the block. “One of the interesting things is the cylinders are at a 15-degree angle. To get the 15-degree cylinders not to contact each other, they had to push them outboard and offset them,” Fenske says.

“By doing that, the centerline of the cylinder is not in-line with the centerline of the crankshaft anymore. That offset changes the angularity of the rod’s motion creating a unique set of motions, different for the upstroke and downstroke.”

Moving up top, is where the debate between the VR5 being an “V5” or a “staggered inline-five” exist, as it only has a single cylinder head, intake manfold, and exhaust manifold. “It has a single valvetrain up top, which is a cool thing VW has done with the VR engines,” Fenske says.

“Another thing that is interesting about this engine is how they have oriented the cylinders. They have flipped the chamber orientation around on the opposite side, so that the intake and exhaust valves are opposite on each side. You have a single intake manifold and a single exhaust manifold on the other side of the engine. The flipping of the port allows runners to be paired up for cylinders inside of the cylinder head, which simplifies the cylinder head design a little.”

As you can see on this cylinder head, the intake and exhaust valve orientation is flipped from one side to another. You can also see how the internal intake and exhaust ports can be paired up to make the internal passages of the cylinder head more efficient with all of the intake ports on one side, and all of the exhaust ports on the other.

A Balancing Act

Having a different number of cylinders on each side of the engine may seem like an issue, but in practice, it wasn’t a large obstacle at all. “From a balancing perspective, you have two cylinders on the left, and three on the right. By having a different number of cylinders you have a different [rotating] mass on either side,” Fenske explains.

“Ultimately most of that can be balanced out with the crankshaft counterweights. But there are likely to be some unique vibrations to deal with within the engine.” However, more than odd vibrations, the only real oddity experienced by VR5 engines was the unique exhaust note.

While time has neither exalted nor condemned the VR5 engine design, it certainly has created an interesting bit of trivia that it appears not many are familiar with. “It was a ‘happy medium’ engine, which may have made sense at the time,” Fenske concludes. “It had more power that an inline-four-cylinder, but was more compact than an inline-five- cylinder. It’s interesting to look back and see something as strange as this actually made it into production.”

About the author

Greg Acosta

Greg has spent nineteen years and counting in automotive publishing, with most of his work having a very technical focus. Always interested in how things work, he enjoys sharing his passion for automotive technology with the reader.
Read My Articles

Horsepower delivered to your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
EngineLabs NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

EngineLabs

EngineLabs

We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs.

EngineLabs

EngineLabs NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

EngineLabs

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


LSX Mag
Late Model LS Vehicles
Dragzine
Drag Racing
StreetMuscle
Muscle Car & Hot Rods

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • LSX Mag Late Model LS Vehicles
  • Dragzine Drag Racing
  • Street Muscle Mag Muscle Car & Hot Rods

EngineLabs

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading