Volkswagen W12

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Volkswagen W12
2008-07-12 Volkswagen W12 Syncro Concept Goodwood.jpg
The 1997 Volkswagen W12 Syncro at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Overview
Manufacturer Volkswagen
Production1997–2001
Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Layout
Doors Scissor
Powertrain
Engine 5.6 L Volkswagen Group W12 (W12 Syncro & W12 Roadster)
6.0 L Volkswagen Group W12 (W12 Nardò)
Transmission 6-speed manual [1]
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,530 mm (99.6 in)
Length4,400 mm (173.2 in)
Width1,920 mm (75.6 in)
Height1,100 mm (43.3 in)

The Volkswagen W12 was a series of concept cars created by Volkswagen Passenger Cars in 1997.

Contents

Initial conception

At the request of then Volkswagen Group CEO Ferdinand Piech, Giorgetto Giugiaro and his Italdesign team was tasked to design a Volkswagen sports car, with instructions that it had to accommodate a 12-cylinder engine in a W configuration, be mid-engined, and also be able to be configured with Volkswagen's Syncro all-wheel drive system.

Another reason for its conception was to prove to the world that Volkswagen Group can build a supercar and can build a large and reliable engine for its flagship car models such as the Audi A8, Volkswagen Phaeton, and its sport utility vehicle, the Volkswagen Touareg. In fact, the W12 engine featured in the W12 Nardò concept is closely related to the engines found in the Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Flying Spur.

The concepts

W12 Syncro (1997)

In 1997, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen debuted their first sports car concept, a bright yellow W12 Syncro (also known as the W12 Syncro Coupé) with a 5.6-litre W12 engine producing 309  kW (420  PS ; 414  bhp ) with Syncro four-wheel drive. This, and the W12 concepts after it, were all designed by the Italdesign firm in Italy. The W12 Syncro had the following specifications:

W12 Roadster (1998)

It is an open topped version of W12 Syncro with red body colour, rear-wheel drive.

The vehicle was unveiled at the 1998 Geneva Auto Show. It had the following specifications:

W12 Nardò (2001)

VW W12 Nardo 2001 (Front quarter). Volkswagen W12 Nardo 2001.jpg
VW W12 Nardò 2001 (Front quarter).
VW W12 Nardo 2001 (Rear quarter). Volkswagen W12 Nardo 2001 Vue arriere..jpg
VW W12 Nardò 2001 (Rear quarter).

In 2001, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen Group released their most powerful W12 sports car concept yet, in bright orange (then also known as the W12 Nardò, referring to the Nardò Ring vehicle test track near the Italian city of Nardò). The engine was rated at 441  kW (600  PS ; 591  bhp ) and 621  N⋅m (458  lbf⋅ft ) of torque; it could accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in about 3.5 seconds, and had a top speed of 357 km/h (221.8 mph), weighing 1,200  kg (2,646  lb ).

Motorsport

On 23 February 2002, a Volkswagen W12 coupé took the world record for all speed classes over 24 hours over the Nardò Ring at Lecce, covering a distance of 7,740.576 kilometres (4,809.8 mi) at an average speed of 322.891 km/h (200.6 mph). [2] [3]

In media

The cars have been portrayed in video games, such as Gran Turismo , Asphalt , Project Gotham Racing , GTI Racing, World Racing 2 and the Test Drive series. The W12 Nardò also featured in a 2013 April Fools joke as the new Volkswagen LeVanto. [4]

References

  1. ↑ "Volkswagen W12 Coupe Specs".
  2. ↑ Notice that original Italian names has stress on the last syllable.
  3. ↑ "W12 Record". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  4. ↑ Volkswagen on Facebook
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