Volkswagen W12 Concept
The Volkswagen W12 Coupe, better known as the Nardo, was a concept car created by Volkswagen in 1997. At the request of then VW CEO Ferdinand Piech, Giorgetto Giugiaro and his Italdesign team designed a supercar that could house a 12 cylinder W-engine, act as a mid-engine configuration, and even incorporate VW's Syncro AWD system. Part of the reason for its creation was to prove to the world that Volkswagen was capable of making large and dependable engines for their luxury vehicles, such as the Touareg and Phaeton.
In 1997, the W12 Coupe made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. The model while a 5.8L W12 engine producing 309 kW (420 bhp) and could be outfitted with Syncro AWD. This was followed by the unexpected addition of the W12 Roadster at the same show, which was powered by the same engine but featured rear-wheel drive as standard.
Flash forward to 2001, when at the Tokyo Motor Show the W12 was showcased once again but this time to great enthusiasm. It was dressed in a bright orange and was powered by a 441 kW (512hp) and 458 ft·lbf of torque engine. This powerful motor was able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in a mere 3.5 seconds and had a top speed of 214 mph (350 km/h).
At the Nardo Circuit near Lecce, Italy a unique unpainted carbon fiber version of the W12 Coupe set seven world 24-hour speed records, earning it the name 'Nardo'.
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