The Craziest VW I've ever seen

November 10, 2001 11:43 PM

The Craziest VW I've ever seen Volkswagen's new W12 Coupe.. Woah...
posted by Dav0xor (22 comments total)

Where's the vase?
posted by mrbula at 11:46 PM on November 10, 2001

Looks like a photoshop job. Is there evidence of this car on any other site?
posted by mathowie at 11:48 PM on November 10, 2001

Oh, it's real alright. And vwvortex.com is a pretty reputable site.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:03 AM on November 11, 2001

Here is the site I just mentioned in English. By the way, VW is quoting 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds. But not too surprising, considering that VW also owns Porsche, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, among others.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:08 AM on November 11, 2001

it is a photoshop job.... its says on it that its a umm concept drawing.
posted by Satapher at 12:14 AM on November 11, 2001

Concept car, not concept drawing. Although the picture at the top of the page may well be a drawing, instead of an actual picture. But, for example, the picture of the engine is real.

I made a mistake though. I don't think VW owns Porsche after all, although many of the same people who own Porsche have a significant involvement with VW.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:23 AM on November 11, 2001

Before then, however, the twelve-cylinder engine will be put to use from spring 2002 in the in the new luxury saloon from Volkswagen, internally know as Project D1.

Huh?
posted by Tacodog at 12:25 AM on November 11, 2001

the new bus is pretty strange lookin too.
posted by outsider at 12:33 AM on November 11, 2001

This is the right link to mr bus
posted by outsider at 12:34 AM on November 11, 2001

The W12 concept has been around for quite a while (a couple years, at least). It was originally done as a roadster - the coupe version is new. This motor will be powering the next version of the Audi A8, as well as some Rolls-Royce/Bentley models. The Passat will be getting an 8-cylinder version of the W motor in the near future.

Volkswagen Group owns the following companies: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Seat, Škoda, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

Porsche is a separate company, but is still pretty much part of the family.
posted by daveleck at 12:36 AM on November 11, 2001

The W12 originally debuted at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show. Here is a summary page.
posted by daveleck at 12:42 AM on November 11, 2001

Tacodog, here is some info on the D1.

And yeah, what daveleck said.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:42 AM on November 11, 2001

Wow, that can't be a Volkswagen. It's way too sexy.

Look at the clearance on that thing. Just *wait* till somebody hits a pothole in it.
posted by Su at 12:52 AM on November 11, 2001

The 12-cylinder engine is basically two narrow-angle VR6 engines sharing a common crankshaft and splayed at an angle of 72 degrees, making it one of the most compact 12-cylinder engines ever created

So it's basically two old engines stuck together. Oh those VW engineers' cheating hearts! As for its sexiness, well, I was about to say it was designed by an Italian, Giugaro, when I remembered all the dour, unsexy Silent Majority stuff his people have done lately, for VWs and just about anything else with wheels. About the only sexy VW is the Californian-designed current Beetle. And then only in Europe. *general exasperation setting in* Why oh why? What's becoming of the world; moan; everything turned upside down; pang of nostalgia for cherry-popping Beetles of yore... *insert choice UncleFes rant here; a My Happy Hubby counter-comment by bunnyfire and a final demolition job on all these superficialities courtesy of rushmc*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 1:32 AM on November 11, 2001

And no, splayed at an angle of 72 degrees doesn't do it for me either.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:15 AM on November 11, 2001

Wow, It's amazing how many sites simply don't render *anything* at all with javascript disabled. I turned it off as-per Microsoft's warning and now I can't view a lot of 'high end' sites like sonystyle and VWs page for this car.

And as for the 'Photoshop job', yeh right. You would need at least a 3d modeler to do something like that. All pictures look a little 'fake' if you look at them to long.
posted by delmoi at 4:44 AM on November 11, 2001

It looks like a souped up version of the Audi TT - which in itself is rather like a squashed beetle. It's almost as though they just decided to squash it just a little more.

Anyone know what the pricetag is on this thing?
posted by aladfar at 6:23 AM on November 11, 2001

Before then, however, the twelve-cylinder engine will be put to use from spring 2002 in the in the new luxury saloon from Volkswagen, internally know as Project D1.

> Huh?

"Saloon" is what those English speakers on that island to the east call a sedan....
posted by mattpfeff at 6:26 AM on November 11, 2001

VW only has the rights to Rolls Royce through 2002, then in 2003 BMW takes over the rights to the name, and VW will sell Bentleys. Ugghh.
posted by machaus at 7:06 AM on November 11, 2001

I've got a used car I'd like to sell to dness2.
posted by y2karl at 11:37 AM on November 11, 2001

(delmoi, download the IE widgets that enhance your menus with "add to restricted sites" and "add to trusted sites" options. Then you can turn off javascript for the internet zone, leave it on for the trusted zone, and add sites to the latter as needed.)

As for the car, boy is this a tough crowd. It's mostly just VW experimenting in the high-end roadster genre. Just like BMW in Europe also sells cheap cars and trucks, VW is a full-fledged automaker who tries to cover as much of the market as they can. And doesn't Porsche still manufacture engines for many VW models?
posted by dhartung at 2:50 PM on November 11, 2001

what an ugly automobile. I'll take a delorean anyday!
posted by mcsweetie at 4:50 PM on November 11, 2001