Volkswagen Phaeton: here is the 2nd series ever born

AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT – That of the Volkswagen Phaeton it was a story that lasted only for a generation. This luxury sedan launched in 2002 it was wanted by the then president of the Volkswagen Group, Ferdinand Piëch, whose intention was to bring the Volkswagen brand also to the high end of the market. The luxury model chosen to implement this strategy was a sedan that could compete on equal terms with Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series. And thus the Volkswagen Phaeton was born, a car unanimously recognized as very valid, but which it did not have the desired success. The reason? The Volkswagen brand could not hold its own in terms of image with the aforementioned Mercedes and BMW, now established in the luxury sedan segment. The Phaeton has undergone four updates and, from 2002 to 2016, only 84,235 were built.

> Pictured above is the 2002 Phaeton.

STRONCATA ON THE NACERE – Despite this, Volkswagen had planned to replace the Phaeton with one second generation that should have arrived right in 2016. But the outbreak of the scandal involving diesel emissions from the German group, known as Dieselgate, changed everything. The new top management, which replaced the previous ones, including Piëch, developed a new strategydeciding to focus on electric mobility and to cancel the Phaeton D2, which was already at an advanced stage of development.

IT WAS PRACTICALLY OVER – Now, on the occasion of the 20 years since the launch of the first Volkswagen Phaeton, the German house unveils that second generation never born, which would have raised the bar of quality, design and technology even further. As can be seen from the photos, the Phaeton D2 it is a large sedan (506 cm long, 190 cm wide and 145 cm wide) which stands out for the rigor of its lines, with a front dominated by a classic chromed grille with horizontal development and a rear where the two headlights are joined by chrome plating. The Phaeton D2 is engineered on the MLB platform, with an aluminum hood, doors and trunk.

DONATED THE ORGANS – The Volkswagen Phaeton D2 can count on various technological solutions that were subsequently used in other models of the manufacturer, such as the large LCD panel that includes instrumentation and multimedia system of the Touareg launched in 2018. Lots of luxury inside: wood veneer, leather, aluminum, vents ventilation systems with electronic opening are just some of the solutions used in a car that had to be at the top of technology and comfort.

FLAGSHIP ENGINES – No information has been provided on the range of engines envisaged by the Volkswagen Phaeton D2. The first generation featured two petrol and a TDI. The base engine was the 3.2 V6, whose cylinder banks were arranged at an angle of 15 degrees from each other, with a power of 241 hp. The second petrol engine was the mighty 6.0 W12 which developed 420 hp. The most unusual engine was the V10 TDI. With a capacity of five liters, two variable geometry turbochargers, an output of 313 hp and a torque of 750 Nm, this engine made the Phaeton the most powerful diesel sedan of the time in the world. As with the W12, the engine power was transmitted to all four wheels via an automatic gearbox and the 4Motion all-wheel drive system.