Volkswagen G60 engine

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Volkswagen G60 engine explained simply

What it is
- The G60 is Volkswagen’s 1.8-liter, inline-four petrol engine that uses a unique G-Lader scroll-type supercharger to boost power. It was used in late-1980s/early-1990s VW hot hatchbacks and sedans.

How it works
- The G60 adds boost through a G-Lader supercharger (a magnesium unit with a 60 mm inlet). Air is cooled by an intercooler before entering the engine.
- The engine runs with Bosch Digifant engine management and multi-point fuel injection, and it uses water cooling.
- It’s based on VW’s EA827 family but heavily revised, with a cast-iron block, an aluminum head, five main bearings, and a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) with two valves per cylinder. It uses a belt to drive the camshaft and valves.

Two related engines
- G40: The smaller predecessor, 1.3 liters (1,272 cc), 8-valve SOHC. It produced about 85 kW (116 PS) and 150 N·m of torque. G40 had a 40 mm G-Lader inlet.
- G60: The bigger version, 1.8 liters (1,781 cc), with the 60 mm G-Lader. It produced about 118 kW (160 PS) and 225 N·m of torque.

What the numbers mean (design and performance)
- Displacement: G60 is 1.8 L; bore 81 mm; stroke 86.4 mm.
- Block/head: grey cast iron block, aluminum alloy head, post-production heat treatment.
- Valvetrain: single overhead cam, two valves per cylinder, belt-driven; hydraulic lifters; two valve springs per cylinder.
- Cooling/air: intercooler to reduce boosted air temperature; water-cooled.
- Power/torque: G60 up to 118 kW (160 PS) at 5,800 rpm and about 225 N·m of torque at 4,000 rpm.
- The G-Lader was sensitive to hot air, so some models used a larger or better-placed intercooler for more consistent performance.

Where it appeared (cars and years)
- G40 (smaller): used in the Mk2 Polo GT G40 (Aug 1986–Jul 1994). Top speed around 196 km/h (122 mph).
- G60 (larger): debuted in August 1988 in the Passat B3 G60 and Golf Mk2 G60. The Golf G60 could reach 0–100 km/h in about 7.8 seconds and a top speed around 216 km/h (134 mph).
- Corrado G60 (Sept 1988): 0–100 km/h in about 8.3 seconds and a top speed around 225 km/h (140 mph) in the standard version.
- United States: The G60 was used mainly in the Corrado; VW later moved to the VR6 engine in the US.
- Rally variant: Golf Rallye (4WD) used the G60 with a wider intercooler for homologation; power stayed at 118 kW.
- Golf Limited (16-valve): a rare 16-valve version producing about 154 kW (209 PS) and 0–100 km/h in around 6.4 seconds, with top speed near 247 km/h.

Legacy
- The G60/G40 technology helped VW develop later engines, including turbocharged and fuel-injected designs used in VW’s modern engines.

Summary
- The G60 is VW’s boosted 1.8L G-Lader Supercharged engine from the late 1980s, delivering strong performance for its time in cars like the Golf Mk2 G60 and Corrado G60, with a notable high-power Rallye and a rare 16-valve Golf Limited variant. The smaller G40 was the earlier 1.3L version.