Phaeton anyone?

[SyncroS8]

I'm in the middle of breaking a W12 Phaeton 2004.

I bought it with a dead gearbox as I am using the engine for another project.

Although the gearbox needs a rebuild, I still managed to drive it for 3 months to work and back. With the gearbox stuck in 5th with an open torque convertor (Limp mode), I managed around 17-18mpg on the daily hack.

I could get 25-28mpg on a run at 70mph.

The technical stuff that's gone into the Phaeton is just amazing and makes the D2 S8 I had look dated. That said, I prefer the look of the S8! The Phaeton looks like a big Passat, not my style!

The gearbox (and 4WD) in the W12 is a 5HP24A... exactly the same as fitted to the D2 S8... with the same problems! When VW brought out the Phaeton W12 in 2003, they stated that the gearbox was 'filled for life'. A year later, they did a complete U-turn and stated that the gearbox oil should be changed every 40k!! There were several customers/dealers who fell foul of this and ended up having to shell out for a new gearbox as the warranty was void as the oil hadn't been changed!

The other Phaetons use a different ZF gearbox (6 speed) and these are more reliable.

The air suspension gives the car the very best ride that I have ever experienced in a car. I used to work for Porsche as a Master Tech and I've driven a lot of cars!

The W12 engine is just a mass of torque and just keeps pulling. The 3.0TDi in that Phaeton on ebay is a good reliable engine but you should still be checking for service history.

There is a very good Phaeton forum on the Vortex forums. These guys really know their Phaetons and are very happy to help out with any questions or info that you need.

Oh... the Phaeton has a steel body and as a result.. this is a very very heavy car! They weigh around 2300kg. As a result, don't expect it to be as nippy as an A8/S8. The W12 comes with the same brakes as the RS6, RS4, Lamborghini etc 365mm fronts and 330mm rears. They are needed!

MG