An eight cylinder VW—wow
By Michael Binstock
Acorn Automotive Editor

I’ve always liked Volkswagen’s Passat. It’s a luxurious European sports sedan without all the hype from the other German brands, but it’s almost ignored. But not now as an innovative W8 engine has VW ready to play with the big boys. From its introduction as a "people’s car" to the near luxury of a Passat with eight cylinders, there is a Passat for all buyers.

When I last drove a Passat, I did have a small performance problem. It needed more power. Perhaps the engineers at Wolfsburg heard me because they have come up with something remarkable, a Passat with an eight-cylinder engine, and not a V8 obtained from somewhere else.

The W8 engine has its roots in the VR6 found in other VW cars. The VR6 is a six-cylinder motor that employs a narrow angle V (15 degrees) between cylinders and a common head for all six cylinders. To create the W8, VW placed two four-cylinder versions of its VR6 together on a common crankshaft with a 72-degree angle between the two VR4 groupings. The result is a compact eight-cylinder engine that allows the cylinders to overlap, and shorten the engine to occupy about the same space as a V6.

This is important in the space- conscious designs needed with front engine configurations, and allows the Passat W8 to be small on the outside but spacious inside. VW has managed to drop an eight-cylinder engine in what is essentially a front drive platform, however the W8 engine is only mated to Volkswagen’s 4motion all-wheel-drive system. Power output of the W8 is great for its relatively modest 4.0 liter displacement. It produces 270 HP and 273 lb ft of torque. The engine has 32 valves and four camshafts, and runs about as smoothly as any V8 you’ll find in any car.

The Passat W8 is now Volkswagen’s flagship car in North America and it should be with a combination of power, standard amenities and German engineering. This is the first eight-cylinder powered Volkswagen offered anywhere and the Passat W8 is just the start of VW’s program to change the face of its image in the U.S. In about a year, it will be selling a 12-cylinder Phaeton, expected to be priced at about $80,000.

You can get a W8 sedan for $37,000 while the Passat W8 Wagon starts at $38,700

This is a performance sports sedan giving similar driving feelings to those "Ultimate Driving Machines" and to its sister product from Audi. The W8 is only available with Volkswagen’s 4motion all-wheel-drive system and a five speed automatic gearbox with an optional "manual" mode for those of us still looking for something to do with the left foot. Perhaps a manual transmission will come later.

The 4motion all-wheel-drive gives the Passat great all weather capability, something we don’t need in our spectacular climate, but it also increases the fun and safety in driving fast, not that I encourage it.

This is a luxury automobile despite its Volkswagen badges and inside it looks it––real wood, real leather and all the attributes of a premium sports sedan. The seats are very comfortable while a little firm making them excellent for long trips. The Passat W8 comes with a comprehensive list of comfort and convenience features. They include: heated eight-way driver and front passenger power seats; a power glass sunroof; heated windshield washer nozzles; rain-sensing windshield wipers; a self-dimming rearview mirror and much more.

Additionally, Passat W8 and GLX models feature power side mirrors that automatically point downward for optimal line of sight when the car is in reverse, standard steering wheel-mounted cruise control and audio controls that allow the driver to focus on the road.

Safety features include audio controls on the steering wheel, forward and side airbags for front seat passengers and head protection airbags for all outboard-seating positions. The W8 Passat also comes with xenon high intensity discharge low beams, a significant step up in lighting capabilities from halogen.

The Passat gets the top rating for protecting its occupants in a frontal crash, based on testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; it was rated almost as highly in side impacts.

All Passats sold in the United States have side-impact air bags and side-curtain air bags.

At first look you might wonder what’s so special about the W8, but get behind the wheel for a while and you’ll know.

Neftin Volkswagen has the W8 and the other Passat models in stock and ready for a test drive.