VW Corrado v Fiat Coupe Turbo

tc20

Hi all,
altho im not in the market for either of these at present, i've always had a soft spot, and a wish to own both at some stage.
In the VW corner we'd have to go for the VR6 version. I did have a Golf VR6 for a brief spell, and thought it was a beaut to drive. Was the Corrado built on the golf floorpan?
A colleague of my wifes owned a Fiat 20v turbo and loved it. He didnt want to sell, but there were largeish bills on the horizon. I still see it knocking around the blackrock/stillorgan area (smoke silver 00 D reg)

As i said, im not looking to buy, but would just be interested to hear from owners (current & previous) of these motors, and also owners of other Corrado derivatives (G60s etc)

Which one would you go for, and why?

Anan1

AFAIK, the Corrado was built on the Mk2 Golf floorpan. I drove one years ago, and found the interior very claustrophobic. I ended up buying a Mk2 Golf 16v instead. I've never driven a FIAT Coupe 20VT, but it would be much faster than a Corrado VR6. I don't like coupés myself, but if I had to buy one then I'd be looking towards the FIAT. Do bear in mind, though, that servicing bills will be high. Another option is the Alfa GTV, although I could never get past the fact that the 156 is so much better to drive.

alias no.9

The fiat would be much more hardcore in terms of driving but there'll be an astronomical bill for the timing belt on the 20v or 20v turbo because it's an engine out job. You could go for the older 16v turbo which is essentially the unit from the delta integrale and should be well tuneable, which should be much cheaper for the belts. You'll get the typical anti-fiat brigade downing it but remember it was coach built by pininfarina.

The corrado is probably a more practical all rounder, not as fast, but the rear hatch makes it better proposal for an everyday car. The VR6 is 2.9 which will kill you on road tax, the G60 is nearly as fast but only a 1.8.

Buy either at the right time/price, look after it and you should have an appreciating future classic.

tc20

Anan i went thru a spell of all things golf a good few years ago. Had a pair of Mk2 GTis, (8v and 16v), thihnk they lost the plot with the Mk3, too lardy IMO.
The Mk4 wasnt any better, tho i think they've returned to form somewhat with the latest incarnation. Having said that, (and not just VW) with each subsequent version cars are getting too heavy, too laden with kit, that they are removing themselves from the very ethos of hot-hatches/GTis.
I worked in germany for a couple of years in the mid 90s on a long term contract, and we had long term company car leases. One of the perks was a flight home once a month, so you'd just drop off the keys and pick 'em up again on return. Normal fare were 1.8/2.0 (non GTi) Mk3 golfs or Vectras (:o )
Anyways, lo and behold i arrive in Dusseldorf airport, pick up me keys, go to the spot, and find a spanky new VR6 sitting there. Did a double take, saw no-one, and off i flew down the autobahn...Nice motor
On the Fiat front, ive never driven one, just have always liked the looks. I believe any body repair work is £££ cos of the lines. I wouldnt pay any heed to the anti-Fiat brigade on this model tho, and have heard that the 20v turbo engine is pretty robust (considering its looked after)

The Corrado is probably the car you'd buy with your head, it is more practical as a day to day motor. This leaves the Fiat, as usual with Italian stock, as the one to buy with your heart..
Both are future classics in the making (i reckon they're there already)

Gatster

Coupe, probably. Always had a thing about the Corrado myself but sat in one recently and it was a very old-school interior (although still good) compared to the Coupe. The VR6 engine is lovely though...