Add NSU's (absorbed by Audi) Wankel engine to that and Mazda and you have
a great conspiracy theory!

David Marshall
VW Adventure
Driver and BMW Adventure Rider
 
http://www.hasenwerk.ca

On Wed, February 11, 2009 12:02, John Rodgers wrote:
> 
> Sourchasm aside, Sam, I wonder about the WBX/Suburu -
Germany/Japan
> connection.
> 
> Japan was part of
the Axis during WW II, and the Japanese got much
> technical
assistance and a lot of info on building warplanes during that
>
period. Would it not be reasonable that they should get auto engine
> technology as well. And the flat four was being used in the war
effort,
> so surely it migrated to Japan, where in the fullness of
time the
> Japanese have transmuted it into a very fine piece of
modern machinery -
> the Suburu flat four.- and now the flat six
and most recently a flat
> diesel all of which evidently can fit
nicely into a Vanagon.
> 
> Regards,
> 
>
John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
> 
> sam mccarthy
wrote:
>> I am sure the reason VW  didn't  put gas inline-fours
in the van was
>> that they did not want to upset the
"amazing handling" of the Vanagon by
>> raising the
center of gravity over that achieved using the flat four.
>>
They compromised with the diesel due to its "slightly lower"
power
>> output and, how to put it, "more relaxed cruising
attitude".
>> Who could blame them??
>> Sam
M
>> --------------
>>
>> Date:    Tue,
10 Feb 2009 14:02:09 -0800
>>
From:    Zeitgeist
<gruengeist@GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject: Re: The real story
about the invention of the WBX?
>>
>> I think the
point being that VW should've used the introduction of the
>>
T3
>> to
>> turn over a new leaf and leave the flat
engine configuration behind for
>> good.  They had a host of
robust 4 and 5 cyl engines in '79, so it just
>> seems silly
that they bothered to start with the carry-over 2.0L AC from
>>
the
>> '79 Bay window bus.  Despite all the bashing it gets on
this list, the
>> WBX
>> is a good engine, that can
typically provide a long service life...but,
>> it
>> was old-tech engineering that was outdated even when it was
introduced. 
>> The
>> Audi 2.3L gasser and 2.0L
turbodiesel fivers were a perfect match,
>> though
>> they should've opted for a distributor-less design in the
former to
>> avoid
>> engine lid issues.
>>
>> Oh, if only I ran the world...
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 1:45 PM, neil N
<musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Actually VW did make the Vanagon with an inline 4. The
diesel.  :)
>>>
>>> And.....
>>>
>>> In South Africa, they put in 5 cylinders.
This thread has a pic of one:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215380&highlight=south+african
>>
>>> Check out this SA autotrader link
>>>
>>> http://www.autotrader.co.za/
>>>
>>> I got lots of hits under
"microbus". Maybe some listings have
>>>
>> pics of
>>
>>> engine bay.
>>>
>>> Neil.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Casey
>> '87 300TD
>> '94 100CSQ Avant
>> '89
Bluestar
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Date:    Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:08:09 +0100
>>
From:    Jens Jakob Andersen <jayjay@ZORCK.DK>
>> Subject: Re: The real story about the invention of the WBX?
>>
>> Hi Neil
>>
>> Agreed - VW
used the diesel-I4 in the Vanagon. At the same time VW
>> had
plenty of good gasoline I4 engines - using a lot of the same
>>
parts as the diesel-i4 - so VW could in 1983 quite easily have
>> changed from boxer to gasoline I4 - but somewhere inside VW
the
>> argumentation/businesscase for making the WBX is stored
- and I think
>> that it would be an absolutely historic scoop
to get the real story
>> about why VW decided to make the WBX,
instead of changing to gasoline
>> I4 in 1983.
>>
>> Happy driving
>>
>> Jens Jakob
>> At 22:45 10-02-2009, neil N wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 12:46 PM, Jens Jakob Andersen
>>>
>> <jayjay@zorck.dk> wrote:
>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>> ..... - on the
day when they decided:
>>>> "Lets convert the CU to
water-cooled - it will be real easy,
>>>>
>>
done
>>
>>>> quite fast, and a good stable
conversion - instead of just using one
>>>> of our great
inline.-4 engines"
>>>>
>>>> So my
basic question to this list -      does anyone know about why
>>>> VW decided to create the WBX, instead of changing to
inline-4 in
>>>>
>> 1983?
>>
>>> Actually VW did make the Vanagon with an inline 4. The
diesel.  :)
>>>
>>> And.....
>>>
>>> In South Africa, they put in 5 cylinders.
This thread has a pic of one:
>>>
>>>
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215380&highlight=south+african
>>>
>>> Check out this SA autotrader link
>>>
>>> http://www.autotrader.co.za/
>>>
>>> I got lots of hits under
"microbus". Maybe some listings have
>>>
>> pics of
>>
>>> engine bay.
>>>
>>> Neil.
>>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> End
of vanagon Digest - 9 Feb 2009 to 10 Feb 2009 - Special issue
>> (#2009-123)
>>
*****************************************************************************
>>
>>
>>
>