Volkswagen Phaeton

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Volkswagen Phaeton
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Volkswagen
Production	2003-present
Class	Full-Size Executive / Luxury
Body Style	4-door, 4/5 seat Sedan
Length	5055mm (5175mm, LWB)
Width	1903mm
Height	1450mm
Wheelbase	2881mm (3001 mm, LWB)
Weight	2372 kg
Transmission	6 gear AWD, 5 gear AWD
Engine	W12, V10 TDI, V8, V6, V6 TDI
Power	225 bhp 150 Nm - 4000
Similar	Maserati Quattroporte BMW 7 Series Mercedes-Benz S-Class Audi A8 Porsche Panamera Lexus LS Bentley Flying Spur Jaguar XJ Aston Martin Rapide
Designer	{{{Designer (lead designer if it was a team effort)}}}

The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fey-i-tn") is a large luxury sedan manufactured by Volkswagen. It currently serves as the flagship of the Volkswagen line-up, competing with other high-end flagship sedans such as the Jaguar XJ, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It presumably takes its name from Phaëton, the son of Helios in Greek mythology, or harkens back to the early days of automobile production, in which phaetons were a recognized class of vehicles.

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Overview

The Phaeton was the brainchild of Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch, who perceived the addition of such a flagship as a means to burnish the Volkswagen brand.

The Phaeton's platform, the D3 platform, is not shared with the Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. D3 platform is constructed from steel while Audi A8 is made of aluminium space frame. This choice of metal is for reducing the production cost as to make Phaeton about 20% cheaper than comparable rival vehicles.

As of 2005, the Phaeton has the longest wheelbase in the passenger Volkswagen model line.

In Dresden, Germany, the car is hand-assembled in a distinctive factory with a glass exterior, the Gläserne Manufaktur.

The V8 model starts at $66,700, including a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax. The W12 model starts at $96,700, including a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax.

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Powertrain

As of 2006, the Phaeton is available with the following engines:

Displacement	Power output	Torque	0-100 km/h	Top speed
Petrol/Gasoline
3.2 L (3189 cc) V6	177 kW (241 bhp)	315 Nm (232 ft·lbf)	9.4 s 4-seat: 9.7 s LWB: 9.7 s 4-seat LWB: 9.9 s	239 km/h (149 mph)
4.2 L (4172 cc) V8	246 kW (335 bhp)	430 Nm (317 ft·lbf)	6.9 s	250 km/h (155 mph)(Limited)
6.0 L (5998 cc) W12	331 kW (450 bhp)	560 Nm (413 ft·lbf)	6.1 s	250 km/h (155 mph)(Limited)
Diesel
3.0 L (2967 cc) V6	165 kW (225 bhp)	450 Nm (332 ft·lbf)	8.8 s 4-seat: 9.1 s	234 km/h (145 mph)
5.0 L (4921 cc) V10	230 kW (313 bhp)	750 Nm (553 ft·lbf)	6.9 s	250 km/h (155 mph)(Limited)

Only the 4.2 L and 6.0 L gasoline engines were available in the United States and Canada. All Phaetons shipped to the United States and Canada were electronically limited to a top speed of 210 km/h (130 MPH).

The 3.2 L V6, 4.2 L V8, 5.0 L V10 TDI and 6.0 L W12 engines are all available in short wheelbase and long wheelbase versions with 4Motion permanent all wheel drive as standard. The V8 models have a 6-speed automatic transmission, and the W12 models have a 5-speed automatic. The 3.0 L V6 TDI is only available in short wheelbase configuration with a 6-speed automatic and 4Motion.

The Phaeton also features an advanced traction control system, anti-lock brakes, electronic differential lock (EDL), engine braking control (EBC), electronic brake distribution (EBD), and electronic stability program (ESP) with brake assist.

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Dimensions

The dimensions for the standard wheelbase Phaeton are as follows:

5055mm length
1903mm width
1450mm height
2881mm wheelbase

The dimensions for the long wheelbase Phaeton are as follows:

5175mm length
1903mm width
1450mm height
3001mm wheelbase

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American market

The Phaeton has not sold well since entering the United States in 2004. 1,433 Phaetons were sold in 2004 after Volkswagen responded to initial sales by offering a US$10,000 buyer incentive. Just 820 were sold in the United States in all of 2005, leading the company to announce that sales in the American market would end after the 2006 model year.

Car and Driver reported in October 2006 that Volkswagen had discontinued the Phaeton in the North American markets due to insufficient sales and constant service issues.

Other reasons for the Phaeton's demise in these markets was the hefty price tag, which was in part due to currency fluctuations. This put it in competition with luxury sedans that were already well established in the American market, such as the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Customers have been slow to accept a luxury Volkswagen, perhaps due to their historical perception of Volkswagen as being an "economy" marque. The British motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson summed up the Phaeton's commercial failure by pondering "To what question is the answer a £68,000 Volkswagen?".

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Gallery

Volkswagen Phaeton

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Trivia

Volkswagen has registered 100 patents on various innovations in the Phaeton. One such patent is for the 4-Zone Climatic Air Conditioner, which allows a separate temperature for each quarter of the vehicle, and is draft-free.

The Chancellor of Germany, the Pope at the Vatican, the Prime Minster of Portugal, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and North Korean Officials are all chauffeured in Phaetons.

Pope Benedict XVI was given a new Phaeton W12 by Volkswagen in October 2006.

The Government of Hong Kong replaced its E38 BMW 7 Series fleet with 35 Phaetons in October 2006.

Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder received the very first Phaeton in 2002, when he opened the factory in which the cars are built. His first use of the car was at the World Trade Conference in New York in 2002.

Taiwan’s leading motoring magazine, "Car Magazine" [1]" crowned the Volkswagen Phaeton "Taiwan’s best luxury sedan" in its tenth edition Automotive Buyer’s Guide 2005.

The Phaeton has a drag co-efficent rating of 0.31.

With the speed limited removed, the 6.0 W12 Phaeton can reach a top speed of 201mph as attested by Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear; Clarkson said that it was "totally smooth and stable" even at that speed, and that even at 201 mph, he "still couldn't hear the engine".

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