Volkswagen Phaeton V8 4.2 4MOTION
The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fay-ton") is VW's top of the line, competing with other high-end sedans like BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It pays tribute to Phaëton, the son of Helios in Greek mythology. Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piëch pushed for the Phaeton to enhance the brand, reducing the traditional automotive model of a 'mainstream' brand (VW/Nissan/Toyota/Ford/Chevrolet/Honda) and a luxury brand (Audi/Infiniti/Lexus/Lincoln/Cadillac/Acura). The Phaeton is similar to (but not as prestigious and exclusive as) the Toyota Century, as the platform is shared with the Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT, and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. The Phaeton's interior takes design cues from its luxury siblings.
Having the longest wheelbase in the Volkswagen model line, the Phaeton is hand-assembled in the Gläserne Manufaktur (Glass Factory) in Dresden, Germany. Its dimensions measure 5055mm (length), 1903mm (width), 1450mm (height), and 2881mm (wheelbase) for the Standard Wheelbase version, and 5175mm (length), 1903mm (width), 1450mm (height), and 3001mm (wheelbase) for the Long Wheelbase version.
When the Phaeton was released in the US in 2004, customers were slow to accept this luxury Volkswagen. This was perhaps due to the traditional view of VW as an "economy" marque. In response to initial sales, Volkswagen offered buyers US$10,000 back, but only 1,433 cars were sold in 2004 and only 820 in 2005. After poor sales, the Phaeton will no longer be sold after the 2006 model year, with a base price of $66,700 for the V8 version and $96,700 for the W12 version (including a $1,300 and $3,000 gas-guzzler tax respectively).
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