Volkswagen W12

W12 Open Sports Show Car

VW revealed a mid-engined sports ``show-car'' in late 1997. The engine is a 5.6 litre ``W12'' with four valves per cylinder and four overhead camshafts: 310kW (420hp) at 5800rpm and 530Nm torque at 3000rpm. The W12 amounts to two of VW's narrow-angle 2.8 litre `VR6' V6 engines joined together at an angle of 72 degrees. The narrow angle in the V6 makes for a compact and light engine which carries over, doubly, to the W12. The camshafts are chain driven and have hydraulically controlled variable valve timing, operating four valves per cylinder. Engine length is 510mm, width 700mm and the unit is mounted north-south. There are seven main bearings.

/VW/Cars/W12.html 1999 Motor Show

The engine drives into a race-style 6-speed sequential gearbox and then to the rear and also the front wheels by a Syncro, i.e. viscous-coupling 4x4/AWD, system! If it goes into the planned limited production of 200 closed coupes and 100 open roadsters, its natural rivals would be the likes of the Lamborghini Diablo 4x4, whose forward-lifting doors it has "borrowed".

VW is also planning a line of up-market cars and station wagons to compete with the likes of BMW. All wheel drive will be offered on at least some of them. The top model will probably get the W12 engine. This seems all the more likely now that VW has outbid BMW for Bentley (1998). As well as the W12, VW is also developing W8 and W10 engines based on their V4 and V5, petrol and diesel engines.

The Ital designed coupe's dimensions are:
length 4.40m,
height 1.04m,
width 1.92m,
weight 1200kg,
tyres 255/40ZR19 / 285/35ZR19,
rims 19".

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