THE MIGHTY MANG-MANG

GM’S little 3800 V6 is claimed to be one of the top 10 engines of the 20th century, and with over 25 million of them produced, that could be on the money. With a 3.8in bore and 3.4in stroke, the 90-degree V6 is a willing performer that might be a little rough in terms of NVH levels but punched well above its weight through the 80s, 90s and 2000s. While only a few engine parts transfer over from the mighty Buick Grand National, it can certainly tap into that ancestry.

Here in Australia, the 3.8-litre V6 saw duty in VN-VY Commodores. From VN to VR, we got the LN3 (VN Series I) and L27 (VN Series II, VP and VR) versions, replaced by the more compact L36 Ecotec and L67 supercharged six in VS-VY. The later engines had a shorter deck height and different port spacing, so almost no parts transfer over from VN-VR to VS-VY.

Eventually, the 3800 family of V6 engines would be replaced by GM’S 3.6-litre High Feature V6, known locally as the Alloytec, but the new OHC mill never developed the following of the earlier generation of engines.