1995 Volkswagen Corrado VR6 Storm

The Corrado VR6 wasn’t the most affordable car in its class, and the sales reflected that. Before eventually ending the rather short run of the fine car that the Corrado was, VW decided to do a limited-production model for the UK, called the Corrado VR6 Storm, which is exactly what you see here. Only 500 of these were available, in two colour choices namely Classic Green (like this one) and Mystic Blue. Other special bits included badges and more upmarket cabin treatment, but its rather tidy BBS Solitude alloys are equally hard to miss.

The well-documented history of this example shows that it’s been serviced regularly at reputed specialists or dealers right to date. The other thing worth noting is that a substantial amount of periodic maintenance/replacement of worn-out parts offset the effects of age and mileage of the car. The vendor has also included detailed invoices of the replacement parts along with service records. Complementing that — and the car’s overall condition — is the various MOT test certificates from the past. It’s passed the current one, too, which is valid till Feb 2020. According to the other publicly available data, the tax on this Corrado VR6 Storm expires in August this year.

The Corrado's looks have a large part to play in its demand among enthusiasts. The slightly squared front is assertive if not the most aggro, the almost Quattro-Sport-like profile is hard to ignore, and since it’s a three-door, the rear’s appointed rather well, too. It was built by Karmann, and has a distinct visual appeal, which is further complemented by the way it drives. The Corrado VR6 Storm here benefits from the aforementioned colour and the nice 15-inch BBS alloy wheels. It must be noted that on this example, the centre caps of the wheels are missing.

Would the Corrado look out of place in a modern car park? No, but it’ll quite positively stand out from the banal designs and colours that are commissioned on modern machines. Not as drastic as something like the Stratos but the wedge-shaped exterior is the Corrado’s strength. Another bit, without the mention of which any Corrado VR6 story won’t be complete, is the retractable spoiler. Drive anywhere over 45 mph, and it pops up automatically. For a performance-hatchback-based coupe in the 90s, that’s quite something. Take that, Panamera!

The N684 JAM might have done quite a few miles, but the age isn’t evident in the way it looks. The paint seems problem-free, and the panels appear to be in the same shape they left from the factory. The mirrors (which have found use on other more ‘hero’ cars like the McLaren F1 as well as a few TVRs) look clean but are reported to have some spots, though. The flared wheel arches make the car look more prominent, and they do diminish the relatively small-sized wheels. It’s safe to say that the original look that Herbert Schäfer signed off for the car still works rather well.

Before going ahead with this, we must keep in mind that Volkswagen had positioned the Corrado a bit higher than the Scirocco and Golf. And the interior had to do justice to that. In the Corrado Storm, the cabin is specced in cream leather, a combination that VW offered with the limited-run Classic Green outside paint. It does show signs of ageing, but considering this car has braved a quarter of a century and close to 200,000 miles, the interior has fared well. The sunroof doesn’t shut completely, which is said to be not an uncommon issue. Another small thing to note is that the offside front window has a scratch on it.

Despite fewer doors than say a Golf GTI, the Corrado can accommodate passengers at the back. Although given the roof line’s descending shape and the limited room at the rear, it’s better suited for short journeys only. The dashboard is a mix of VW parts, and even now, looks like a special place to be. The doors open wide, making the ingress into the cabin easy. One sits fairly close to the ground further accenting the enthusiast-orientated product the Corrado is. On the practicality front, the hatchback opens a large aperture for the boot. That's a positive, although it’s a deep bay and getting heavy items into it can be a task.

Heavy items? Well, the reality is, while the Corrado can do a lot of things a similarly large hatchback would, one would be better off enjoying it for what it is — and maybe not for carrying heavy items, but rather for thoroughly enjoyable early morning drives. Critics have appreciated the car’s fine compromise between ride and handling. Which is reassuring considering most of the focussed cars these days are terribly stiff. But not the Corrado VR6 Storm! Like with other VWs, the handling balance ranges from neutral to the point when it’ll happily lift the inside rear wheel.

The star of the show is the 2.9-litre VR6 engine, which is a V6 but with a clever packaging solution. Inclined at just 15 degrees, the engine doesn’t require the width that a V6 otherwise would. While a modern-day turbocharged four-cylinder engine will give you more performance, nearly 190 bhp from this did catapult the car to 62 mph from a standstill in under 7 seconds. And that’s hardly slow — even by today’s rapid standards. It’s got a strong mid-range and a good V6 soundtrack. The latter won’t go amiss since this example doesn’t have an audio player installed (although there’s a 10-disc CD changer there), so you might as well make the most of that. The gearbox is a 5-speed manual unit with throws that aren’t too long or lazy.

The photo gallery below gives you an idea of the current condition of the car. The interior looks fairly clean (but aged), while there’s some visible rust on the hatch and the underbody. The tyres on this car are okay and not in need of an urgent replacement.

Registered first in 1995, this Corrado VR6 Storm has been maintained throughout its life, and unlike some classics which are left unused with the expectation of good returns, this one has been driven extensively as well. According to the official data, the car has had six previous owners, with two colour changes documented. A large part of its mileage was covered before 2014, and currently, the odometer reads north of 197,000 miles.

A dyno-run result from 2005 reveals an engine remap and a Milltek Exhaust, both of which helped the car record 201.7 bhp at the crank. Whilst this was 16 years ago, it left Karmann's facility in Osnabruck in 1995 with 190hp... so very likely that it is still providing close to, or above, factory performance - something which the owner can confirm.. he mentioned about a something of a shovel if I recall...

It’s had tyres, brakes, fuel pump, radiator, shock absorbers, CV joints, etc. replaced during its life. The latest record states that an oil service was carried out in February this year, at 197,700 miles.

The Volkswagen Corrado VR6 Storm is a bit of a unicorn, given that it was produced in limited numbers. But that aside, it’s not just the rarity you’d be paying for. Its performance is more than adequate for everyday driving, and complement that with the much-appreciated chassis balance, and you have a car which, despite its age, feels refreshing and not outdated.

The example comes with a service and MOT record, so that does bring with itself some reassurance. Having said that, it’s a well-used car, and if you’re looking for something that appears to have been driven out of a showroom yesterday, this isn’t that. We estimate it’ll fetch between £8,000 - £13,000.

Corrado is Spanish for ‘to sprint’, and we don’t see a reason why VW should’ve used a different name. It might’ve not stormed (sorry!) the market when new, but it has almost everything it takes to do so now. Owner groups can help with some parts, while it’s suggested that certain parts can be upgraded from VW’s parts bin, to ensure that you can enjoy the Corrado for as long as you want. And from where we see it, you’ll want to keep one for a long time.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.