Volkswagen Phaeton

Infobox Automobile


name = Volkswagen Phaeton
manufacturer = Volkswagen
parent_company = Volkswagen Group
production = 2002 – present
assembly = Dresden, Germany
class = Full-size luxury car
body_style = 4-door saloon/sedan
layout = front engine,
4motion permanent four-wheel drive
platform = Volkswagen Group D1 platform
engine = "petrol engines:"
3.2L 240 hp V6
4.2L convert|350|hp|abbr=on V8
6.0L convert|450|hp|abbr=on W12
"diesel engines:"
3.0L convert|225|hp|abbr=on V6
5.0L convert|350|hp|abbr=on V10

transmission = 5-speed automatic
6-speed automatic
wheelbase = auto mm|2881|1,
LWB: auto mm|3001|1
length = auto mm|5055|1,
LWB: auto mm|5175|1
width = auto mm|1903|1
height = auto mm|1450|1
weight =
fuel_capacity =
related = Audi A8
Bentley Continental GT
Bentley Continental Flying Spur
designer =
similar = Lexus LS
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
BMW 7 Series
Audi A8
Jaguar XJ

The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fay-ton") is a large luxury sedan manufactured by German car manufacturer Volkswagen. It was introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, and is currently marketed in Europe and other countries worldwide. The Phaeton was sold in North America in the 2004 through 2006 model years.

The name Phaeton derives from Phaëton, the son of Phoebus and Helios in Greek mythology, and also the Phaeton, a type of horse-drawn carriage from the 19th century.

Overview

The Phaeton was the idea of Ferdinand Piëch, then chairman of Volkswagen. 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's 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 convert|300|km/h|mph|abbr=on|lk=off with an exterior temperature of convert|50|°C|°F|abbr=on|lk=off whilst maintaining the interior temperature at convert|22|°C|°F|abbr=on|lk=off. Piëch requested this even though the Phaeton's top speed was electronically limited to convert|250|km/h|mph|abbr=on|lk=off. ["Top Gear" Series 2 Episode 10, July 20, 2003] Another requirement 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 stand-alone platform, and was specifically developed for the Phaeton and Bentley under code name VW611. It is commonly confused 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 ( _de. 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.

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 a preferred ride type from comfort to sport. With the "Klavier Lack" (piano lacquer) option, the vehicle is double-painted and sanded between the first and second paint application.

ales

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 sell for a small fraction of their original cost. [cite web |url=http://www.heise.de/autos/Clever-kaufen-und-Geld-sparen-Restwerte-bei-Gebrauchten--/artikel/s/2605/1
title=Gebrauchtschnäppchen Phaeton]

The 2006 model year had an MSRP of between $66,700 and $101,300. [cite web
url=http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2006-volkswagen-phaeton.htm
title=2006 Volkswagen Phaeton, Consumer Guide Automotive
accessdate=2008-08-13]

In April 2008 Volkswagen announced plans to reintroduce the Phaeton to the United States market in 2009. [cite web
url=http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,547518,00.html
title=Spiegel online]

Models available

* V6 engine & V6 TDI
* V6 LWB (Long Wheelbase)
* V8 engine LWB
* V10 engine TDI
* W12 engine LWB

Powertrain

As of|2007, the Phaeton was available with the following engines: [All data: cite book |title=Automobile Revue 2007 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2007 |publisher=Espace Media Groupe |location=Bern |isbn=978-3-905386-07-3 |pages=519-520]

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 convert|208|km/h|mph|abbr=on|lk=off.

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.

Awards

During its launch in 2004, the V8 model won "Inspiring Men Magazine's" best sedan of the year award. [ [http://pe.inspiringmen.com/01/wmw/vwphaeton/ Inspiring Men Magazine's - Phaeton V8 model] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new_cars/phaeton Phaeton Website UK]
* [http://www.glaeserne-manufaktur.de The Transparent Factory Official Website]
* [http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article_id=2477&page_number=1 Car and Driver Review]
* [http://newcartestdrive.com/review-intro.cfm?Vehicle=2004_Volkswagen_Phaeton&ReviewID=1464 New Car Test Drive Review]