What is it?
Volkswagen W12 Coupe
What's special about it?
How fast does it go? Well, pretty darn fast, Johnny. At the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen showed its third iteration of the W12 Coupe. Actually, two cars were in attendance. The first was an unpainted race version used to set the 24-hour world speed record, and the second was dressed up in theoretical production car trim.
On October 14, 2001, the black carbon-fiber-body W12 Coupe was used to set the world speed record for distance covered in 24 hours. The car covered 4,402.8 miles at an average speed of 183.45 mph. The record has not yet been recognized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), but once done, it will best the previous record by a margin of 7.5 mph. In this quest, Volkswagen says two other world speed records and six international vehicle class records were broken. After the test, the car was shipped directly to Japan, and the body was still covered in road grime and splattered bugs. At least the bugs died quick; the car's top speed is 217 mph.
You too could try to attain this speed on your way to the local Kwik-E-Mart if a production version becomes reality. Though appointed with leather seats, air conditioning, GPS navigation and a mobile phone (handy for when you need to call your lawyer before the cops drag your butt off to jail), there's little difference between the two cars. This is definitely a racecar, paint or no paint.
Most important to either car is the mid-mounted W12 engine. "W" refers to Volkswagen's new family of engines. The basic layout of the W12 is two narrow-angle V6 four-valve V6 engines that share a common crankshaft and are configured at an angle of 72 degrees apart from each other. This layout could be described as a V-V arrangement, or a "W." The same engine layout is used for the Audi A8 W12, with four fewer cylinders in the 2002 Passat W8 and the upcoming 16-cylinder Bugatti EB Veyron. The W12 displaces 6.0 liters and makes 600 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 458 lb-ft of torque. Power is then applied to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential-shifting manual gearbox.
Why should you care?
Translated into English, Volkswagen means "People's Car." Call us kooky, but we think the W12 is more likely to appear on posters for 12-year-old boys before you see one in your neighbor's driveway (unless, of course, your neighbor happens to be Jay Leno or some super-rich tycoon dude). Should Ferrari and Lamborghini be worried? Not really, if history is an indicator. Other automakers — Nissan and Jaguar, namely — have tried to enter the supercar realm and have come away tails tucked. When it comes to this type of vehicle, prestige and history are just as important as, if not more than, cylinders and horsepower.
More interesting for the immediate future is the W12 Coupe's engine. Already available in the Vaterland as an option for the Audi A8, this engine will be offered in the upcoming Volkswagen super luxury car and premium SUV. Though certainly detuned for these cars, the engine could make around 400 hp, making for some seriously fast VWs. — Brent Romans
Volkswagen W12 Coupe
What's special about it?
How fast does it go? Well, pretty darn fast, Johnny. At the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen showed its third iteration of the W12 Coupe. Actually, two cars were in attendance. The first was an unpainted race version used to set the 24-hour world speed record, and the second was dressed up in theoretical production car trim.
On October 14, 2001, the black carbon-fiber-body W12 Coupe was used to set the world speed record for distance covered in 24 hours. The car covered 4,402.8 miles at an average speed of 183.45 mph. The record has not yet been recognized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), but once done, it will best the previous record by a margin of 7.5 mph. In this quest, Volkswagen says two other world speed records and six international vehicle class records were broken. After the test, the car was shipped directly to Japan, and the body was still covered in road grime and splattered bugs. At least the bugs died quick; the car's top speed is 217 mph.
You too could try to attain this speed on your way to the local Kwik-E-Mart if a production version becomes reality. Though appointed with leather seats, air conditioning, GPS navigation and a mobile phone (handy for when you need to call your lawyer before the cops drag your butt off to jail), there's little difference between the two cars. This is definitely a racecar, paint or no paint.
Most important to either car is the mid-mounted W12 engine. "W" refers to Volkswagen's new family of engines. The basic layout of the W12 is two narrow-angle V6 four-valve V6 engines that share a common crankshaft and are configured at an angle of 72 degrees apart from each other. This layout could be described as a V-V arrangement, or a "W." The same engine layout is used for the Audi A8 W12, with four fewer cylinders in the 2002 Passat W8 and the upcoming 16-cylinder Bugatti EB Veyron. The W12 displaces 6.0 liters and makes 600 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 458 lb-ft of torque. Power is then applied to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential-shifting manual gearbox.
Why should you care?
Translated into English, Volkswagen means "People's Car." Call us kooky, but we think the W12 is more likely to appear on posters for 12-year-old boys before you see one in your neighbor's driveway (unless, of course, your neighbor happens to be Jay Leno or some super-rich tycoon dude). Should Ferrari and Lamborghini be worried? Not really, if history is an indicator. Other automakers — Nissan and Jaguar, namely — have tried to enter the supercar realm and have come away tails tucked. When it comes to this type of vehicle, prestige and history are just as important as, if not more than, cylinders and horsepower.
More interesting for the immediate future is the W12 Coupe's engine. Already available in the Vaterland as an option for the Audi A8, this engine will be offered in the upcoming Volkswagen super luxury car and premium SUV. Though certainly detuned for these cars, the engine could make around 400 hp, making for some seriously fast VWs. — Brent Romans
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