Volkswagen Phaeton

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Volkswagen Phaeton
2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
Manufacturer Volkswagen
Parent company Volkswagen Group
Production 2002 – present
Assembly Dresden, Germany
Class Full-size luxury car
Body style(s) 4-door saloon/sedan
Layout front engine,
4motion permanent four-wheel drive
Platform Volkswagen Group D1 platform
Engine(s) petrol engines:

3.2L 240 hp V6
4.2L 350 hp (260 kW) V8
6.0L 450 hp (340 kW) W12
diesel engines:
3.0L 225 hp (168 kW) V6
5.0L 350 hp (260 kW) V10
Transmission(s) 5-speed automatic
6-speed automatic
Wheelbase 2881 mm (113.4 in),
LWB: 3001 mm (118.1 in)
Length 5055 mm (199 in),
LWB: 5175 mm (203.7 in)
Width 1903 mm (74.9 in)
Height 1450 mm (57.1 in)
Related Audi A8
Bentley Continental GT
Bentley Continental Flying Spur

The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fay-ton") is a large sedan manufactured by Volkswagen — first introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, marketed in the US from 2003MY to 2006MY, and currently marketed in Europe and other countries worldwide.

The name Phaeton derives from Phaëton, the son of Phoebus and Helios in Greek mythology — and also a type of horse drawn carriage.

Contents

[edit] Overview

The Phaeton was the idea of the then Volkswagen chairman, Ferdinand Piëch. Piëch wanted VW engineers to create a car that would overwhelmingly surpass the prestige market leaders, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The decision to release the Phaeton was, in part, a response to Mercedes' decision to compete directly with VW in the European marketplace with the low-cost A-Class.

Initial development of the Phaeton began with Piëch giving his engineers a list of ten parameters the car needed to fulfill. Most of these specifications were not made known to the public, but a number of them were told to automotive reporters. One of them was that the Phaeton should be capable of being driven all day at 300 km/h (186 mph) with an exterior temperature of 50 °C (122 °F) whilst maintaining the interior temperature at 22 °C (71.6 °F). Piëch requested this despite the Phaeton's top speed being electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph).[1] Another was that the car should possess torsional rigidity of 37,000 Nm/degree.

The Phaeton's platform, the Volkswagen Group D1 platform, is shared with the Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Certain systems such as the transmission and some engines are also shared with the Audi A8. The D1 is a standalone platform, and was specifically developed for the Phaeton and Bentley under code name VW611. It is commonly mistaken with Audi's D3 platform, which is aluminium-based instead of the D1's steel platform.

As of 2005, the Phaeton has the longest wheelbase in the Volkswagen passenger car line.

The Phaeton is hand-assembled in an eco-friendly factory with a glass exterior, the Transparent Factory (Gläserne Manufaktur) in Dresden, Germany. This factory also assembled the Bentley Continental Flying Spur until October 2006, when assembly of the Bentley was transferred to Crewe, England.

[edit] Features

Development of the vehicle led to over 100 individual patents specific to the Phaeton. Distinctive features include a draftless four-zone climate system, air compressor suspension system, standard 4motion four wheel drive, and the ability to select your preferred ride type from comfort to sport. With the Klavier Lack (piano lacquer) option, the vehicle is double painted and sanded in-between the first and second paint application.

[edit] Sales

Much like its older cousin, the Volkswagen Passat W8, Phaeton sales fell short of expectations. In the United States market 1,433 Phaetons were sold in 2004, but just 820 were sold in 2005, leading the company to announce that sales in the American market would end after the 2006 model year. The rare W12 engined models have depreciated significantly, and are selling for a fraction of their original cost.[citation needed]

In April 2008 Volkswagen announced the reintroduction of the Phaeton to the United States market in 2009.[2]

[edit] Models available

[edit] Powertrain

As of 2007, the Phaeton was available with the following engines:[3]

engine type max Power max torque 0-100 km/h top speed
petrol engines (gasoline)
3.2L (3189 cc) V6 241 PS (238 hp/177 kW) 315 N·m (232 ft·lbf) 9.4 s
LWB: 9.7 s		 149 mph (240 km/h)
4.2L (4172 cc) V8 335 PS (330 hp/246 kW) @ 6500 rpm 430 N·m (317 ft·lbf) @ 3500 rpm 6.9 s 155 mph (249 km/h) (limited)
6.0L (5998 cc) W12 450 PS (444 hp/331 kW) @ 6050 rpm 560 N·m (413 ft·lbf) @ 2750 rpm 6.1 s 155 mph (249 km/h) (limited)
diesel engines
3.0L (2967 cc) V6 TDI DPF 233 PS (230 hp/171 kW) @ 4000 rpm 450 N·m (332 ft·lbf) @ 1500 rpm 8.8 s
4-seat: 9.1 s		 147 mph (237 km/h)
5.0L (4852 cc) V10 TDI 313 PS (309 hp/230 kW) 750 N·m (553 ft·lbf) 6.9 s 155 mph (249 km/h) (limited)

Between 2002 and 2006, all engines were available in both short wheelbase, and long wheelbase (LWB) versions, with the exception of the V6 TDI, which was short wheelbase only. With the introduction of the 2008MY, the V10 TDI has been dropped entirely.

The V8, V10 and both V6 models feature Volkswagens's longitudinal Torsen-based 4motion permanent four-wheel drive system, and have 6-speed transmissions. The W12 features the same 4WD system, but has a 5-speed transmission.

Only the 4.2 L and 6.0 L gasoline / petrol engines were available in the United States and Canada (2004-2006MY). All Phaetons shipped to the United States and Canada were electronically limited to a top speed of 208 km/h (130 mph).

The Phaeton also features an advanced traction control system (ASR), anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic differential lock (EDL), engine braking control (EBC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), with emergency Brake Assist (BA).

Note: The electronic differential lock (EDL) employed by Volkswagen is not, as the name suggests, a differential lock at all. Sensors monitor wheel speeds, and if one is rotating substantially faster than the other (i.e. slipping) the EDL system momentarily brakes it. This effectively transfers all the power to the other wheels.

[edit] Awards

During its launch in 2004, the V8 model won Inspiring Men Magazine's best sedan of the year award.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Top Gear Series 2 Episode 10, July 20, 2003
  2. ^ Spiegel online.
  3. ^ All data: (2007) Automobile Revue 2007. Bern: Espace Media Groupe, 519-520. ISBN 978-3-905386-07-3. 
  4. ^ Inspiring Men Magazine's - Phaeton V8 model

[edit] External links

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