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2003 Volkswagen Passat 4.0L 8cyl
2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion AWD 4dr Sedan
The engine heard all around the world
By Lou Ann Hammond
COMPETING MODELS:
Audi allroad quattro AWD 4dr Wagon
BMW 3 Series 325xi AWD 4dr Sport Wagon
Mercedes-Benz E-Class E430
Volvo V70 AWD 4dr Wagon
Audi A6 2.7T quattro AWD 4dr Sedan
BMW 5 Series 540i
Jaguar S-Type 3.0 4dr AWD Sedan
Lexus GS 430 AWD
Saab 9-5 Arc 3.0t 4dr Sedan
Volvo S60 2.4T AWD 4dr Sedan
The 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 is the top-of-the-line Volkswagen Passat and the German automaker's flagship sedan and wagon the world over. The Passat has grown more lavish and notably more refined. The next step for Volkswagen would be to add more horsepower. The engine bay of the Passat was not designed to accept a V8, so Volkswagen created one. At the heart of the Passat W8 is a newly designed 4.0 liter, 32-valve engine that creates a segment leading 271 horsepower. The Infinitely variable valve timing creates a flatter torque curve of 273 lbs. ft. of torque at just 2,750 revolutions per minute. In European tests, the Passat W8 can accelerate from 0-to-61 mph in about 6.5 seconds (manual version).
When other Manufacturers understand the magnitude of change the W-design offers, it will become explosive. The concept, not the car. The change is in the shape. Before the W-design, there were three basic ways most engines were designed; inline, flat or V-inline. As the name suggests, an inline designed engine is long and narrow with all the cylinders in a line or row. In small cars, in particular, a long, narrow engine mounted transversly (perpendicular to the car's centerline) can allow for a very short hood. In flat-design (also known as horizontally opposed or a boxer) the cylinders are arranged in two banks on opposite sides of the engine. A flat engine is wide and, well, flat. This means it has a low center of gravity. The VR-design still follows the V architecture, though the cylinders are arranged in two banks set at an angle to one another, instead of using the in-line 4. The basic idea for W8 comes from VW's well-known VR6. The engine features an extremely narrow V, the result of six nearly inline cylinders that are staggered at a 15-degree angle, thereby creating a
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The newly designed Passat W8 engine
shorter block and a more compact engine. In the VR-inline, that angle is 90 degrees. The VR engine has characteristics of both flat and inline designs. It's more square design means it has some of the space-saving qualities of inline engines as well as the lowered center of gravity found in flat designs. The W8 takes that idea, slices two cylinders each off two VR6s and brings them together at a 72-degree angle. Two VR4s angled at 90 degress strategically placed for economy of space, gives you a W8. da, dah. The engine in the Passat was designed for a V6. Reconfiguring the architecture of the cylinder allows for a W8 in the same amount of space.
Unlike a conventional engine, VW has arranged the eight cylinders in a W-like configuration. Counter balance rotating shafts have been added to make the ride as smooth as the V-design. One would expect the nose of the car to be a little heavier, but the folks at Volkswagen took that into account. The W8 engine is cast out of high silica content aluminum, allowing for extra strength with less weight. Another advantage of the W-desgin is a byproduct of its shorter length. Since the engine isn't as long as a V8, neither is its crankshaft, meaning less weight again.
The Passat W8 comes standard with the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, a manually-shifting Tiptronic five-speed automatic, bi-xenon headlamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, memory-sensing wipers, a sunroof, a 200-watt GM Monsoon sound system, eight-way power seats including a memory driver’s seat, and a safety package that includes front, side and curtain airbags.
A wagon version is on its way by mid-year, at $38,700, and shortly afterwards, a Sport Package. The Sport Package will offer 17-inch wheels and an optional (at no extra cost) six-speed manual gearbox. That's expensive for a Volkswagen, but it's a bargain for a V-8 powered German road car, said Frank Maguire, vice president of sales and marketing.
The Volkswagen Passat more expensive, yes, but it is the same great car Volkswagen is known for, with what will become known as an engineering breakthrough for an engine.
W8 is the first in a family of W engines VW has planned. A 420-hp W12 will power Phaeton, and a W16, with an unbelievable 1,001 hp will go in the limited production Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron supercar in 2003.
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