> The G60 engine is equipped with a G-force supercharger which has 
> inherently bad bearings.  That's why VW opted not to use that 
> supercharger anymore, and aftermarket companies now offer a turbocharger 
> replacement system which although is not as responsive, is more efficient 
> in the top end.
> 
> Erik Peterson
> Vehicle Research Institute

WHOOPS, that ain't exactly true.  Been there done that, you can 
easily get 150k+ out of a G-lauder if cared well for, BUT early 
quality on them was sort of hit and miss, might die at 60k, might go 
200k.  I'd say on average easily equal to reliability of most air 
cooled turbos.  FWIW people are also rebuilding the G60 now.  Also 
the origional test units VW ran out to the equivalent hours of like 
half a million miles.  VW opted not to use the blower anymore because 
in this market at least they had wrung about all out of a four banger 
they reasonably could.  I note that they continued G40 production for 
some years thereafter, may still be making them on Polo or some other 
little car.  The design of the G-lauder was a thing of beauty and 
precision, a truely neat blower but subject to very exacting 
tolerances.  Keep the air clean and the oil changed and it will go 
forever, unless like most modern VW's it catastrophically fails for no 
particular reason.

John
mechanical engineer and former G60 owner