A Volkswagen with champagne-cooler and W12 engine? Until 2016 the Phaeton made that possible and was probably the ultimate undercover luxury car. For non car people it might even look just like a bigger Passat – but it is so much more. For many the VW Phaeton W12 is one of the most underrated cars of all times, and therefor definitely worthy of being mentioned on our page.
Bi-Xenon lights combined with LED technology and cornering function, 4-zone electronic climate control, a mini-fridge in-between the backseats, 360° automatic distance control (ADC) and on top of that a 6 L W12 engine that usually comes into play at Bentley – the Phaeton has it all.
The original idea behind the car was to compete with Mercedes’s S-class, which, from a technical standpoint, would have been no problem for the Phaeton – the car had everything you’d expect from a luxury-limousine. So why was it never the big thing? Actually nobody really knows, but an often claimed cause is the design. It looked too much like the VW Passat, which was a good, but ordinary, family sedan.
Quick Facts | |
Year | 2010 |
Cylinders | 12 |
Displacement | 5998 ccm (366 ci) |
Horsepower | 450 hp |
Top Speed | 250 km/h (155.3 mph) |
0-60mph / 0-100kmh | 5.9 s |
Engine | |
Type | W12 |
Position | front |
Displacement | 5998 ccm (366 ci) |
Compression Ratio | 10.8:1 |
Boost Pressure | / |
max. RPM | / |
max. Torque @RPM | 560 Nm (413 lb ft) @2750-5200 |
max. Horsepower @RPM | 450 @6050 |
Valves/Cylinder | 4 |
Valvecontrol | DOHC |
Transmission | |
Drivetrain | AWD (4motion) |
Type | 5-speed automatic |
Gear Ratios (rear) | 3.57 - 2.20 - 1.51 - 1.00 - 0.80 (4.09) |
Final Axel Ratio | 3.12 |
Design | |
Seats | 4 |
Doors | 4 |
Length/Width/Height | 5179/1903/1450 mm (204/75/57) |
Weight | 2460 kg (5423 lbs) |
Paint Options | 12 |
Interior Colour Options | 24 in leather + wood choices |
Interior Materials | leather, wood and other |
Cw value | 0.31 |
Design by | VW |
Performance | |
Top Speed | 250 km/h (155.3 mph) |
0-60mph / 0-100kmh | 5.9 s |
60-120mph / 100-200kmh | 18.1 s |
60-0mph / 100-0kmh | / |
1/4 Mile | 14 s |
Price | |
New | ≈ 140,000 $ (160,000 $ today) |
Used | ≈ 40,000 $ |
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