Volkswagen W12
The Volkswagen W12 Coupé (also known as the Volkswagen Nardò, referring to the Nardò Ring vehicle test track, near the Italian city of Nardò) was a concept car created by Volkswagen Passenger Cars in 1997. The car is portrayed in games, such as Gran Turismo, Asphalt 8, Project Gotham Racing 3, GTI Racing, World Racing 2 and the Test Drive series. This car also featured in a 2013 April Fools joke as the new Volkswagen LeVanto.[1]
Volkswagen Nardò Concept W12 | |
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![]() The 1997 Volkswagen W12 Syncro at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed. | |
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Volkswagen |
Production | 1997–2001 |
Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Sports car (S) |
Layout |
|
Doors | Scissor |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 5.6 L Volkswagen Group W12 (W12 Syncro & W12 Roadster) 6.0 L Volkswagen Group W12 (W12 Nardo) |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,530 mm (99.6 in) |
Length | 4,400 mm (173.2 in) |
Width | 1,920 mm (75.6 in) |
Height | 1,100 mm (43.3 in) |
Initial conception
At the request of then Volkswagen Group CEO Ferdinand Piech, Giorgetto Giugiaro and his Italdesign team was tasked to design a Volkswagen sports car, with instructions that it had to accommodate a 12-cylinder engine in a W configuration, be mid-engined, and also be able to be configured with Volkswagen's Syncro four-wheel drive system.
Another reason for its conception was to prove to the world that Volkswagen Group can build a supercar and can build a large and reliable engine for its luxury cars and sports cars, including the popular lineup of their cars, the Volkswagen Phaeton, and its sport utility vehicle, the Volkswagen Touareg. In fact, the W12 engine featured in the eponymous Volkswagen W12 is closely related to the engines found in the Volkswagen Phaeton, Volkswagen Touareg, Audi A8 and Bentley Continental GT. The W12's engine is also an ancestor of the Bugatti Veyron's W16 engine.[2]
The concepts
W12 Syncro (1997)
In 1997, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen debuted their first sports car concept, a bright yellow W12 Syncro (also known as the W12 Syncro Coupé) with a 5.6-litre W12 engine producing 309 kW (420 PS; 414 bhp) with Syncro four-wheel drive. This, and the W12 concepts after it, were all designed by the Italdesign firm in Italy. The W12 Syncro had the following specifications:
- Front track: 1,620 mm (63.8 in)
- Rear track: 1,600 mm (63.0 in)
- Front overhang: 1,000 mm (39.4 in)
- Rear overhang: 870 mm (34.3 in)
- Engine position: mid longitudinal
- Layout: four-wheel drive
- Engine: 5,600 cubic centimetres (341.7 cu in) W12
- Rated power: 309 kilowatts (420 PS; 414 bhp)
W12 Roadster (1998)
It is an open topped version of W12 Syncro with red body colour, rear-wheel drive.
The vehicle was unveiled at the 1998 Geneva Auto Show. It had the following specifications:
- Front track: 1,634 mm (64.3 in)
- Rear track: 1,652 mm (65.0 in)
- Front overhang: 990 mm (39.0 in)
- Rear overhang: 880 mm (34.6 in)
- Engine position: mid longitudinal
- Layout: rear-wheel drive
- Engine: 5,600 cubic centimetres (341.7 cu in) W12
- Rated power: 309 kilowatts (420 PS; 414 bhp)
W12 Nardò (2001)
![](../I/m/Volkswagen_W12_Nardo_2001.jpg)
![](../I/m/Volkswagen_W12_Nardo_2001_Vue_arri%C3%A8re..jpg)
In 2001, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen Group released their most powerful W12 sports car concept yet, in bright orange (then also known as the W12 Nardò). The engine was rated at 441 kW (600 PS; 591 bhp) and 621 N⋅m (458 lbf⋅ft) of torque; it could accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in about 3.5 seconds, and had a top speed of 357 km/h (221.8 mph), weighing 1,200 kg (2,646 lb). It was created by Charlie Adair.
Motorsport
On 23 February 2002, a Volkswagen W12 coupé took the world record for all speed classes over 24 hours over the Nardò Ring at Lecce, covering a distance of 7,740.576 kilometres (4,809.8 mi) at an average speed of 322.891 km/h (200.6 mph).[3][4]
Gaming
The W12's first appearance was in Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva, it has been featured in the series ever since, except for Gran Turismo Sport.
The W12 also appears in Test Drive: Unlimited and World Racing 2 from Synetic. In Test Drive: Unlimited, the car appears in both Coupe and Spyder form as bonus cars for completing races and missions in-game, where upon completion you unlock the car, which can be purchased at no cost to the player (the PSP and PlayStation 2 versions of the game will charge you, however).
References
- Volkswagen on Facebook
- TG’s guide to concepts: the Volkswagen W12
- Notice that original Italian names has stress on the last syllable.
- "W12 Record". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
External links
- Italdesign pages: W12 Syncro, W12 Roadster, W12 Nardò, W12 Record
- Volkswagen W12 Concept – RSportsCars.com