Do you remember the VW Passat W8? Now you can buy a pristine example in Germany

The Volkswagen Passat has always been one of the most popular models in the German manufacturer’s range.

A saloon that has enjoyed – and continues to enjoy – enormous success, and whose history includes some rather special versions, such as this 2002 4.0 W8 4Motion.

The B5 generation of the Passat was sold from 1997 until 2005, undergoing a facelift midway through its commercial life. Today, the Passat B5 (internal code 3B) is considered one of the best Volkswagen of the last few decades, thanks to its robust construction and very high quality for its time. However, it was based on the Audi A6 of the era, whereas the subsequent generations are based on the Golf.

In 2002, a variant previously unseen in the entire history of the Passat range was launched. This is the Passat 4.0 W8, the first – and so far only – Passat with an 8-cylinder engine. The engineers at Volkswagen wanted to showcase the more premium side of the Passat, but they ran into several problems, because, to begin with, none of the V8 engines in the family would fit in the Passat’s engine bay, so an alternative powerplant had to be created.

The 4.0 W8 is a very special engine, known as the “narrow V”. Instead of having two inline four-cylinder banks set at an angle (usually 90º), it has two rows of two cylinders set at 15º on each side. These two rows on each side are in turn set at an angle of 72º.

The result is an 8-cylinder engine that is more compact and lighter than a conventional V8. Although the performance of the 4.0 W8 is not brilliant (it produces 275 CV and 370 NM), the figures it achieved in the Passat paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox are, even today, quick, with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, and a top speed of 250 km/h.

The drive in this model is permanent four-wheel drive. It uses a Torsen system, which has little in common with the current Haldex clutch systems fitted to modern Passats. This example has covered only 100,000 km, is a one-owner car, and comes with all the period extras: Parktronic, heated electric leather seats with memory, GPS navigation and bi-xenon headlights, among others. Tempting? It is waiting for you in Germany at the modest price of 16,800 €.

Source | mobile.de

Technical specifications of this car

EstateVolkswagen Passat12 versions · from 41,085 €