Air-cooled engine in water-cooled car prototype?

[KTPhil]

Years (ok, well decades) ago I read (in Motor Trend, I think) about the "new" water-cooled cars VW was coming out with shortly. This would have been in the early '70s.

There was a photo of a prototype car that temporarily had an air-cooled motor in it to allow chassis development while the engines were still in work. It was a frontal view with the hood up or removed. It must have been a Scirocco since the engine was not transverse. The caption called out the Bug motor noting it was a development chassis. Or so I remember.

Anyone seen such a picture? I didn't find it in my old MT magazines (I just have a few left), or in the photos/archives here.

Might make a fun car to patch together again!

[73sports]

I think you're thinking of the ESVW. Not really a prototype, but more of an experimental vehicle built to test safety features. There were a few different versions of them.
_________________
I will never lie, but sometimes the truth changes.

Central Jersey VW Society

[andk5591]

I had seen a couple things like that over the years, including a few "movie" cars.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[oldPSUguy]

I have seen a possible prototype of a new VW, with some beetle styling cues, and a water cooled, rear engine. It might be smaller than the latest beetle version sold here in the US.

[KTPhil]

Thanks for the ideas, folks. However, I am thinking of a particular photo (and Motor Trend was my only automotive subscription back then), so I'm pretty sure it's none of those above. It was definitely back in the '70s and was a "recent look back" at water-cooled development. Unfortunately, MT does not have archives online. Maybe if I wrote to them, some VW nut might respond. I just liked the idea of a little shared DNA, even if only temporary.

[Nica]

The VW Gol from Brazil had an air-cooled engine on a water-cooled chasis during the late 70s/early 80s

[KTPhil]

Hey, that's a cool car! Not the one I was remembering, but more like what I was imagining could have been done... and it was done!

I wonder how it drove and handled. The aircooled engine would mean it had a light front end, so I would expect it to be a nice driving car, not too front heavy like too many FWD cars. Anyone owned one?

[73sports]

http://www.classicvw.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=5498

This is the car I was thinking of. It's kinda Dasher/Passat like, yet is rear engined/ aircooled.
_________________
I will never lie, but sometimes the truth changes.

Central Jersey VW Society

[mgpsmith]

In 1974 I got to ride in a K70 in Germany. As I recall it was similar to the '77 Dasher I eventually owned for many years. What was the motor in the K70? I want to say it was a rotary, but I probably wasn't paying close attention to that kind of thing back then.....

[Shadd]

Maybe you are thinking of the prototyp EA276?

Here is the description provided by VW's Automuseum (via Google translate).

"Year built: 1969
Engine: four-cylinder boxer, air cooled
Displacement: 1493 ccm
Power: 32 kW / 44 hp at 4000 rev / min.
Maximum speed: 130 km / h

Many roads led to the 1974 presented Volkswagen Golf - EA 276 is one of them. The concept of the EA 276 has most of the features of later success model, namely front-engine front-wheel drive hatchback with a large tailgate, torsion beam axle, arranged under the back seat fuel tank. Even the edgy styling reminiscent of the later, embossed in the base lines by Giorgio Giugiaro Design.

However, if you open the bonnet, a surprise awaits: Here is namely fitted with air cooling instead of the later golf series four-cylinder with water cooling of the time probably familiar beetle boxer who unloads its 44 HP over a beetle gearbox to the front wheels. So imaginary you can save development cost and with proven technology to preserve reliability.

It should, however, in this study, realized in a single and also not fully functional copy, remain. Ultimately, the decision was made in favor of the in-line four cylinder with (initially) 1.5 liter engine, which had existed in the Audi 80 and VW Passat since 1972 his probation samples."


They even had a mid engined design in mind with a horizontal inline water cooled 4 cylinder motor. Shown again here with the translated VW automuseum description.

Volkswagen EA 266 (1969)

Year built: 1969
Engine: Four-cylinder in line, water-cooled
Displacement: 1588 ccm
Power: 74 kW / 100 hp at 5500 rpm
Maximum speed: 189 km / h

The development contract (EA) 266 was issued late 60s under
VW CEO Dr. Kurt Lotz to Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche KG. Volkswagen had set up several claims in the specifications. The new VW should

athletic

comfortable

safe to drive

spacious and

be compact.

To meet these requirements, Porsche favored the mid-engine concept. The four-cylinder engine has a space-saving horizontal positioned below the rear seat. Result: He was with the radiator and intake tract in the highly dust prone area. Engine failures were inevitable. The ease of repair also left something to be desired: Even for minor maintenance had to be expanded to the entire engine and transmission block.

Driving dynamics of the EA 266 was, however, a class of their own. The 1.6-liter injection engine helped him with a top speed of 187 km / h very sporty performance and in terms of roadholding, he gave the most sports cars in the cold.

The vehicle was part of a planned full serial program with two-four-door sedan, roadster, sports coupe and minivan.

Volkswagen chose not under Lotz successor Rudolf Leiding however for the production of the production of very expensive EA 266 Volkswagen decided in 1972 against the production of the EA 266, as the EA 337 - the Gulf - was ready for at this time.

The presented EA 266, on loan from the Motor City, is one of two surviving specimens of this type.

[K70-Ingo]