Volkswagen Rekindles Phaeton

When Volkswagen rebranded the Audi A8 to create the Phaeton, someone, somewhere, got fired. Selling vastly less examples than VW expected, the most expensive Volkswagen made slightly less sense than tattooing your name on your face, but only slightly.

So, Volkswagen’s bringing it back! Having debuted in China at the Beijing show, the 2011 Phaeton strongly resembles the previous model, but bears a set of LED running lights and a less bulbous profile. Inside, however, the new Phaeton bears nothing more than a passing resemblance to the previous one. There’s still the Volkswagen-themed styling, but all the materials and finishes are undeniably upmarket. Interestingly, although the Phaeton will undoubtedly provide Volkswagen with an upmarket luxury sedan, Volkswagen has opted to equip the Phaeton with a wide variety of engine options, ranging from the 450 horsepower W12 to the familiar 4.2L V8 and 3.6L V6, to a thrifty 3.0L turbodiesel V6.