Gotta love those few times in history when the otherwise conservative VW Group just went batshit crazy. Develop a W8 engine for an insane amount of money and decide to shove it in just a single vehicle which is THE PASSAT? Develop a freaking 12 cylinder Biturbo Diesel for just the Q7?? Really? Back when the OEMs were allowed to have fun.
@@damilolaakanni nope. You’re thinking of the w12. The phaeton came in VR6, 4.2 v8, w12 and diesels in Europe including the v10. first gen Contis only came as w12.
@@damilolaakanni VW Phaeton, VW Touareg, Audi A8, and Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur hade the W12 in different forms(turbo twin-turbo and NA), The Passat was the only one with a W8 and that it :))) is funny and crazy and cool in the same time what VW was able to do back then, kicking the balls of other auto manufacturers, and probably in USA VW was too underrated, but in Europe, it is a very good car, and the 1.9 TDI Passat was like the legend in 3th party countries, and it still is :))).
I heard from a Jason Camissa video that VW actually wanted to use the Maserati Quattroporte platform to make a car between the Passat and Phaeton, but they changed their minds. The Passat W8 was probably what followed. The W8 was probably designed for that rear wheel drive model before VW pulled the plug on that project and fit it in the Passat instead.
@@niconugishd9150 The one they missed out on was a concept 3wheeler based on a Golf GTI .. Saw it at a car show back around 2000 possibly earlier, very quick and drivable.
@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 I disabled the torque limiter on my V10 diesel VW Phaeton, because it is set on 750NM (550 ft lbs) from the factory as this is the limit for the transmission. Now going easily over 1100NM without any changes to the engine (800ft lbs). Got it to 290kph (180mph) on the autobahn without problems...
Wife had one of these back in 2005.Had it in to the VW dealership for 30k service. Rookie technician dropped something in one of the spark plug holes while servicing and thought just " revving it up" would make it go away.Horrible noise,damaged one side of cylinder head.After the dealership kept it for 2 months thereafter trying to fix it,they countered by offering us near MSRP to just walk away from it.Wife and I took that deal and bought a new Lexus ES300...from a different dealership. 18 years later, our son is driving it Sucked to lose such a unique car due to dealerships negligance, but I'm sure we avoided bigtime expenses in maintaining that W8.
I loved my 2001.5 Passat GLS V6 5-spd manual. A very fine car in handling, performance and comfort. I put 200k miles on it before letting it go. Having the W8 with 4motion would be unstoppable!
I think the main advantage of the 4motion independent rear, the torsion beam rear axle was the only thing that really let this car down and the riveted in rear seat cushion was a pain in the wagon if you wanted to put a long load in, when the same year Polo 6N2 had a removable one.
My daily driver is a 1997 Passat B5 sedan though it's the 1,6L 101HP engine with 5 speed manual transmission. Mine also has CLIMAtronic and heated seats like the one on the video, but on mine the rear seats do fold down.
That car is SICK! My parents had a v6 manual Passat growing up and that car was a tank so when the W8 came out I aspired to it. Years later and I forgot the W8 existed until I came across this video. I love that y’all at TFL do these videos! Keep it up!
VW went absolutely nuts in the 2000s, not just with Bugatti but W12s V10 TDIs V12 TDIs W8 VR6, just so many one off engines. It’s sad to know we will never experience these cars new with motors like these.
Tommy was so marveled by this W8 Passat that I think his giddiness would be off the chart if he gets his hands on the W12 Volkswagon Phaeton. I'd love to see that and I think Brendan (sp?) would be just the guy to bring one to the channel.
Exactly another interesting fact is i remember Volkswagen did way back the most crazy supercar-concept Volkswagen Nardo with a W12 engine and manual gearbox, and from that prototype Volkswagen always find ways thru its other owned partnership like Audi, Bugatti todo crazy concepts like it leads to Audi R8 W12 TDi prototype and perfected the W engine architecture into Bugatti EB 110 - W16 with 4 turbos then to Veyron and Chyron.. all big crazy engines put into supercars.. !
Had an 03 wagon and loved it. Drove and rode so much nicer than most brand new cars. Looked great too and was actually pretty reliable. Sold it with 218k miles.
This is TFL at its Very Best, 2 Petrol Heads as the Britts say enjoying an unusual Automobile that I had no ideal ever existed. The first time Tommy opened her up RUclips threw an ad at me, my wife got out of bed and asked if I was ok, I yelled Nooooooooooooooo. Great great great show loved every second of it!!!
Awesome cars - still remember my B5.5 manual wagon which served our family well for 11 years. Am I the only one more impressed with the white Peugeot 404 wagon in the background?!
The Highschool kid in me is so glad to see this video! I remember these and wanted one so badly it’s just so weird! This guy has inspired me to just buy weird cars!
A few years ago I was at a junk yard and I saw one of these. It wasn't in the salvage yard but rather the parking lot. I inquired about it as the junkyard has cars for sale but I was informed this particular car was already sold. So I didn't get a chance to geek out checking it out. But the big ole W8 badge in the grill did exactly what it was designed to do from 15 feet away. Yielding to turn left onto the lot I glanced left and saw the shinny chrome badge front row behind the wrought iron fence.
@@toadinthehole8085 yes, i know! but i'm really curious, how fit the w12 in a b5.5, what @jimmy b said :) phaeton have a w12, passat w8, where the trick is??
I worked for VW when this car and Phaeton came out. We were all scratching our heads a bit. Yeah Piech was a madman for sure. Did enjoy the ride and drive they gave us on this car and the Phaeton.
The B5 and B5.5 were good and reliable cars. My first car in US was a 2000 V6 manual FWD with 100k miles in 2004 and that thing drove like new and engine was super smooth. Loved the car....unfortunatelly, i crashed it couple times and that was it :(
B5 audi, although darling of the slammy boyz, is a fantastic car. I actually love the v6 manual version. The steering is telepathic and the 2.8 is a long lived utterly reliable torque monster
I had an 02 Passat from this era that I bought new in Honolulu. The dealer had a W8 in the showroom at the time, which I lusted over, but I didn’t have the wallet for that at the time. I LOVED that Passat. Shipped it from Hawaii to Oakland, CA a year later and drove it cross country to Connecticut with my father-in-law. It was the most pleasurable driving experience. These cars really were a joy to drive and so smooth and comfortable. I’ve gone through 8 VWs since then and I’m still chasing that feeling of my blue 02 Passat.
It's crazy to think i found one of these at my local car yard. This one was the 4 motion w8 wagon with the 6 speed. I ended up buying the shift knob from the car as a souvenir. I never thought the rarest car I'd ever see would be from there!
I have a 2004 W8 auto here in Australia, absolutely love it. Completely stock with 210,000kms on it. The leather is Nappa leather and it holds up really well. I also have a 2001 Bora V6 4motion Manual with the same interior spec. Both brilliant cars, provided you do the maintenance.
The closest I can get to this is my parents CC that they got new in 2014, which already at that point was decently aged having been based off the B6 Passat. But I'm so glad they still have it and leagues better than anything else VW currently sells. I lowkey hope they get an Arteon to keep the VW tradition alive in the fam.
My mother-in-law had a W8 exactly like that one that she only drove around the city with. However, I'd run it up from DC to Waterfest at Englishtown Raceway every summer. It would cruise up & down 95 at 100+ effortlessly and felt insanely grounded to the road. She sold it a week before the warranty expired as it rarely went more than a few months without the check engine light coming on.
I loved my VR6 Manual Transmission Passat Wagon. It was fully loaded. Great cruiser. Easy to load bikes on the roof. Unfortunately I spent too much time getting it fixed. I miss how fun it was to drive.
Was that a B4? The B5 platform never had the VR6. It had the Audi V6 instead since it shared the platform with A4/A6. B6 went back to VR6 and transverse setup shared with the golf platform but didn’t have a manual option.
Thank you, THANK YOU for the Passat W8 videos buddy! Especially the info on the muffler delete!!! I’ll make a Y pipe so I can have the best of both worlds.
I have owned one like this, also sedan, same colour, no manual but an automatic. Indeed once you adressed the cam adjusting system and the thermostat (€680,= part price in Europe) it will run long and without major issues. I treated mine with Forté before every oil change to prevent the adjusters to seize up due to oil sludge, worked like a charm. The thing you guys forgot to mention is the stiffness of the body. Only with the B5.5 W8 Volkswagen made the body extra stiff in order to have more stabilty at high speeds. I had mine op to 285 Km./h. (about 170 Mph.) on an empty stretch of German autobahn. The thing didn't break a sweat and felt as stable as on lower speeds. Of course also this won't make a racecar out of a Passat, but i thought it was worth the mention. Good luck with that nice sounding W8, hope she will give you many more miles of fun.
I remember in 2004 I came up behind one of these in my tuned Peugeot 405 Mi16. Was about to go past him to see if he would have a bit of a race and noticed 2 small blue lights in the corners of the rear windows... In N.Ireland the police were the only people who bought them. Would love one now but impossible to get
My Dad bout a 2002 VW Passat V6. It was a NICE cruiser. 5 hour road trips were a breeze. I liked the cool feature where you could control the windows and sunroof with the key.
@Jose Alberto Rosa-Suliveres I couldn't agree with you more!! Having owned two German built Passats previously, they were my favourite daily driver sedans of all time!! Once I wanted to upgrade, I did test drive the B7 Passat, and while the TDI version was okay, I ultimately decided to upgrade to the next best thing: the Audi A4/S4!! Made in Germany makes a huge difference in quality. German cars are generally much nicer to drive.
@@3n3ly7m9 For the North American market (Mexico, US, and Canada), VW has been building the Passat at the Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant since 2012 (B7 platform). 2022 will mark the final year of production of the Passat in North America as a mid-size sedan powered by an internal combustion engine. The Passat may very well return as an EV later on. They decided to keep the Arteon as the flagship sedan, which is still built in Germany.
I test drove a W8 manual wagon at the VW in Reno, NV back when they were new. I was 18ish and I tried my best to get my dad to buy it but even though my dad loved cars and we had lots of cool cars as far as VW went all he was interested in was a TDI to save a ton of money when he was driving all over the western part of the country. He had his Audi for his AWD manual car.
That exhaust sound insanely good and I respect the owner..it was the car he always wanted then he finally gets it..but then he spenthe 3k to make the engine and now it run well and sound like a monster
i had one of these, put over 100,000 miles on it. The rear seats did not fold down because of the chassis brace. the two fuel tanks. Which means it was the only B5.5 passat with a space saving spare. The fuel gauge going up after there was enough room in the front tank was something odd. The 135MPH limiter, the impressive brakes, and the confidence the AWD system would give you to yeet into a corner with no regard to your own life. What a car.
That's a really nice looking interior too. Volkswagens are nice. Not reliable but God are they nice to drive. My '09 Passat is still my favorite car I've owned to this day and I've driven almost every brand and owned 20 different cars from an 07 V12 bmw to a '16 Lincoln mkz 3.7 to a 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0, to a 2013 dodge charger rt, to a 1997 Lincoln mark viii....lots of variety! That Passat with the turbo was fun as hell 😂
I almost bought a W8 Passat Wagon manual about 5 years back. There was one on eBay reasonably priced, but high miles. It probably needed an engine build, but for how rare they are, I probably missed a gold opportunity.
I have a 2003 W8 with 156K and have only been able to take it to the VW Dealer to get it fix when needed. I like working on it myself but a lot of the things I would do I can't because you have to go through the engine bay and I do not have the right tools or the space to tear down a car. but I love this car it is so much fun!!
I've owned 3 B5.5 Passat wagon diesels in the past... I just picked up the 4th one about a month ago. Every time I sell one I've previously owned, I end up pining to have it back. I've owned a lot of cars, I've sat in and drove a lot of different cars over the years thanks to working in shops as a technician. For whatever reason, I keep coming back to this generation of Passat as one I just like to be behind the wheel of from a comfort, head room and just nice-to-cruise-down-the-highway use. The wagons are super spacious for hauling stuff, too. For a mid-sized car, there's a surprising amount of rear leg room in these. Fairly long wheelbase for what's not a super wide car. I love most VWs from the early to mid 2000s. The sheet metal feels thicker, higher quality. These Passats do just feel like mini tanks driving down the road. Super solid-feeling. They're not exciting in the sense of outright performance and handling, but there's another quality to the feel of being behind the wheel of these that's just simply... satisfying, somehow. Old friend of mine from when I lived in Michigan owns one of the super rare W8 manual wagons, black on black. He swears there's only 7 that are black on black W8 manual wagons like his. Someday I'll find one for myself, along with a W12 Phaeton. That will complete my "Piech Trifecta" of over the top mid 2000s VWs with wild engines inspired by that man. I already own a Touareg with the 10 cylinder TDI...
Loved my manual 1.8t 2003 Passat wagon.... sold it at 202k miles. I carried a spare coil in the glove box which was the only issue I had with the car.... super easy to work on
It’s so difficult to understand when you guys in the usa call the B5 passat “unreliable” in general. Like whaaat.. in Europe they have such a good reputation, for being one of the most reliable cars ever.. some of tdis here have more than 1m km on the dash.. hows that unreliable? 😁..
They are Americans, they have wierd motorisation look. When they talk about audi 100, they will tell you again thats its unreliable. xD But rust bucked toyota is god for them.
I bought a b5 station 1.8 20vt manual about 4 yrs ago for 700! euros , I only had to repair the brake discs and locks on the doors and I changed the interior because I could buy the whole black leather interior for 150 euros from the scrapyard. So far I have put another 45000 km on it and now I have to repair some stuff on the suspension. But thats not too bad, just normal maintenance. Its one of the more reliable cars Ive had. Got now 248k km on the gauge, though the clutch also needs to be done some day but other then that no weird problems. I do the repairs myself so its just really cheap to keep it driving. The engine runs smooth , steers great , has a lot space inside etc. I have not one reason why I would buy a different car.
Because the VWs and Audi's they buy in the US are built mainly in Mexico. They don't have the same standards as EU spec models, like for example they don't galvanize the bodies the same way they do in Wolfsburg.
No, not the craziest thing the ever did. They made a really BIG Passat called the Phaeton with a W12. The level of sheer madness that was engineered into that thing is mind-boggling. The W8 Passat, well, that's just cool. EDIT: Still watching...I see you know about this mad man.
OH YES I am from germany and my mom has had a Diesel Passat since 2003 - keeps running, but I have been dreaming always about a W8 and there is so little online content about them. Finally you guys do it. I love it.
I have an '04 Passat 1.8t(20v) with 4motion and a manual and it's pretty bonkers too. Fast, and a LOT of fun and not the maintenance nightmare the w8 is. And the ESP button Tommy pointed out is essentially a traction control off button for even more fun ^^
@@Manu-Official The TT225 used K04. The lightest 1.8T car you can get a is a B5 A4. The Passat having extended frame and other whatnots, made it around 100-200lb in lightest trim i.e FWD, Manual, Cloth
Plastics in Toyotas fall apart really bad too 😂😂. In my 99 Corolla, I had to replace every door handle, a cup holder, a storage bin cover, and arear view mirror. The headliner eventually started sagging too.
Sorta related - before I purchased my 2009 JSW TDi manual, I test-drove a JSW 2.0T manual. It wasn't an advertised model and I've never seen another one on the road since. Definitely a unicorn. Neat machine but back then the TDi had a clean vehicle rebate and no sales tax, and it was significantly cheaper to buy in the long run vs the gas turbo. Loved the TDi, had a Unitronic tune and sold it back to VW for like 11.5k with 220k on the odo for the scandal. Bought an Mk7 R with the extra dough :)
My buddy has this same Passat in wagon variety. Supposed to be 1 of 1 in that combo and color. It no longer has the w8 but it has all the proof that it was once.
I own a 04 1.8T FWD with 242,000 miles currently. My first and definitely my best car (in my opinion beings I’ve owned also a 2020 Civic Touring Sedan)! Definitely buy one if you see one for sale!
What a gorgeous car I have the b5.5 130bhp 6 speed estate and I love it so much full leather sunroof car has everything and she is still going strong with 24000 miles
I bought my W8 new and still have it to go with my V10 tdi Touareg which I also bought new. They are a bit of a money pit but they are fun to drive. They are both great in the snow.
B5/B5.5 Passat is built on the same platform as the A4 but arguably better as far as the interior goes. The center console is larger and nicer where the A4 is the same as the Jetta interior wise. This Passat is one of few VW's to receive the Torsen instead of the Haldex in the 4Motion models. Transverse engines get the Haldex. Even the FWD model isn't transverse mounted. The W8 was a project to test the new cylinder design that evolved to the W12 found in the Phaeton and T1 Touareg, then later the W16 in the Veyron. VW has some hidden gems most have no clue exist. Glovebox also has an A/C vent and is sized for a 750ml wine bottle (chiller box).
The Passat has a extended frame/chassis compared to the A4 and also uses different rear suspension setup from FWD models compared to Passat FWD. Interior design of the Passat/Jetta compared to the A4/S4 was abet *blah*. As the W8 was a project, the W12 came in 2001 A8L W12 and most were released at the same time. But yeah, any of the cars I just spoek of can be had for Pennies. Theres a $1,500 V10 TDI Touareg with blown turbo seals, about 6, W8 Automatic Wagons for under $3,000. And then Any and all B5s range from Free to 20,000mile S4s at $40,000. I may be a bit biased I have 4 A4s, S4, and D3 A8
@@3n3ly7m9 Rear suspension, eds system, electronics and whole awd system is from A6 C5 quattro. Thats why Passat B5 is not from A4 B5. Its mixed car, 1/2 of car is similar to A4 B5 and 1/2 car is very similar to A6 C5.
@@bapr3887 If thats the case is more related to front end of B6 A4. If you look at the development S4 B6 you will see that the front end was to close and it has to step out like the (Yet there is V10 B5 S4 sooo.. more of just a commercial packaging concern) Passat the Coresupport, noticeable in all B5.5, that why it gives it such a elongated ugly front end, just like the A6 cause it all infront of the drive wheels.
Rumour has it that the W8 was VAG's experiment with the W style engine that would later be used in the Phaeton and A8 (W12) and finally the W16 used in the Veyron.
An example from the golden age of creativity at Volkswagen. Surely the best era for enthusiasts. Crazy capable but soft looking SUV with a redicolous choice of engines. 8 cylinder Passat. 6 cylinder AWD Golf. 12 cylinder luxury sedan (basically a Bentley).
I had an ‘01 S4 Avant in that time frame, fun times. Would love to own the last, Gen3 TDI turbo V8 Touareg. 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque. Schnell zug!
"This is a Passat with 8 cylinders, AWD, and a manual transmission. And we just so happened to catch it running so we better make this video EXTREMELY quickly."
This is my daily driver. Manual w8 over 230,000 miles and kicking strong.
Pretty nice car... 👍🏆
Absolutely lucky. Enjoy my friend.
Man you lucky dog! Nice 👍
I do prefer the station variant and the pre-facelift.. But such a awesome engine.. future classic perhaps? 🤔🤩
Exactly I know they go to 245k
Gotta love those few times in history when the otherwise conservative VW Group just went batshit crazy. Develop a W8 engine for an insane amount of money and decide to shove it in just a single vehicle which is THE PASSAT? Develop a freaking 12 cylinder Biturbo Diesel for just the Q7?? Really? Back when the OEMs were allowed to have fun.
The W8 was not just limited to the Passat, the Phaeton had it as well as the Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur.
@@damilolaakanni nope. You’re thinking of the w12. The phaeton came in VR6, 4.2 v8, w12 and diesels in Europe including the v10. first gen Contis only came as w12.
@@tomy5885 and I thought the Phaeton had the W8. Never knew those had the VR6 though. Thanks for the clarification.
They used to do so much more cool stuff. Remember there was a v10 tdi also.
@@damilolaakanni VW Phaeton, VW Touareg, Audi A8, and Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur hade the W12 in different forms(turbo twin-turbo and NA), The Passat was the only one with a W8 and that it :))) is funny and crazy and cool in the same time what VW was able to do back then, kicking the balls of other auto manufacturers, and probably in USA VW was too underrated, but in Europe, it is a very good car, and the 1.9 TDI Passat was like the legend in 3th party countries, and it still is :))).
I heard from a Jason Camissa video that VW actually wanted to use the Maserati Quattroporte platform to make a car between the Passat and Phaeton, but they changed their minds. The Passat W8 was probably what followed. The W8 was probably designed for that rear wheel drive model before VW pulled the plug on that project and fit it in the Passat instead.
You guys should make that guy one of your guys that test cars. He’s obviously really into cars and he seems like a cool dude.
This comment aged well.
@Notloc430 hay, why's your girlfriend got such a long face?
They had a lot of cool cars back then the V10 diesel Touareg, VW Phaeton and this which could be had in wagon form as well.
@@davieee1168
Yep the gearbox destroyer itself..monster 👹 torque/power.
W12 touareg, v12 tdi q7, r36 passats b6, b7, cc, golf r32, and the concept w12 650 gti
They sure made some epic quirky cars
@@niconugishd9150
The one they missed out on was a concept 3wheeler based on a Golf GTI .. Saw it at a car show back around 2000 possibly earlier, very quick and drivable.
@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 I disabled the torque limiter on my V10 diesel VW Phaeton, because it is set on 750NM (550 ft lbs) from the factory as this is the limit for the transmission. Now going easily over 1100NM without any changes to the engine (800ft lbs). Got it to 290kph (180mph) on the autobahn without problems...
Wife had one of these back in 2005.Had it in to the VW dealership for 30k service. Rookie technician dropped something in one of the spark plug holes while servicing and thought just " revving it up" would make it go away.Horrible noise,damaged one side of cylinder head.After the dealership kept it for 2 months thereafter trying to fix it,they countered by offering us near MSRP to just walk away from it.Wife and I took that deal and bought a new Lexus ES300...from a different dealership. 18 years later, our son is driving it Sucked to lose such a unique car due to dealerships negligance, but I'm sure we avoided bigtime expenses in maintaining that W8.
I loved my 2001.5 Passat GLS V6 5-spd manual. A very fine car in handling, performance and comfort. I put 200k miles on it before letting it go. Having the W8 with 4motion would be unstoppable!
1.8 t was better
I think the main advantage of the 4motion independent rear, the torsion beam rear axle was the only thing that really let this car down and the riveted in rear seat cushion was a pain in the wagon if you wanted to put a long load in, when the same year Polo 6N2 had a removable one.
My daily driver is a 1997 Passat B5 sedan though it's the 1,6L 101HP engine with 5 speed manual transmission. Mine also has CLIMAtronic and heated seats like the one on the video, but on mine the rear seats do fold down.
That car is SICK! My parents had a v6 manual Passat growing up and that car was a tank so when the W8 came out I aspired to it. Years later and I forgot the W8 existed until I came across this video. I love that y’all at TFL do these videos! Keep it up!
VW went absolutely nuts in the 2000s, not just with Bugatti but W12s V10 TDIs V12 TDIs W8 VR6, just so many one off engines. It’s sad to know we will never experience these cars new with motors like these.
Tommy was so marveled by this W8 Passat that I think his giddiness would be off the chart if he gets his hands on the W12 Volkswagon Phaeton. I'd love to see that and I think Brendan (sp?) would be just the guy to bring one to the channel.
Exactly another interesting fact is i remember Volkswagen did way back the most crazy supercar-concept Volkswagen Nardo with a W12 engine and manual gearbox, and from that prototype Volkswagen always find ways thru its other owned partnership like Audi, Bugatti todo crazy concepts like it leads to Audi R8 W12 TDi prototype and perfected the W engine architecture into Bugatti EB 110 - W16 with 4 turbos then to Veyron and Chyron.. all big crazy engines put into supercars.. !
Had an 03 wagon and loved it. Drove and rode so much nicer than most brand new cars. Looked great too and was actually pretty reliable. Sold it with 218k miles.
This is TFL at its Very Best, 2 Petrol Heads as the Britts say enjoying an unusual Automobile that I had no ideal ever existed. The first time Tommy opened her up RUclips threw an ad at me, my wife got out of bed and asked if I was ok, I yelled Nooooooooooooooo. Great great great show loved every second of it!!!
Awesome cars - still remember my B5.5 manual wagon which served our family well for 11 years. Am I the only one more impressed with the white Peugeot 404 wagon in the background?!
No you’re really not! I didn’t even know the Americans got those!
Sweet beard brother! I have owned 3 VW Jettas. None have left me stranded. Love my latest 2020 Jetta!
Love this guy! He keeps buying cars to be in the show! Big respect!
The Highschool kid in me is so glad to see this video! I remember these and wanted one so badly it’s just so weird! This guy has inspired me to just buy weird cars!
A few years ago I was at a junk yard and I saw one of these. It wasn't in the salvage yard but rather the parking lot. I inquired about it as the junkyard has cars for sale but I was informed this particular car was already sold. So I didn't get a chance to geek out checking it out. But the big ole W8 badge in the grill did exactly what it was designed to do from 15 feet away. Yielding to turn left onto the lot I glanced left and saw the shinny chrome badge front row behind the wrought iron fence.
The W8 and the VR5 were pretty unique. Owned the VR5 and it was a really smooth engine.
and the 2.8 V6 30V! this 3 engine is insane in this Passat!
@@Kiskaresz03 we had the W12 in the uk
@@jimmyb269 how is it possible??? have the engine bay enough space?
@@Kiskaresz03 because the pistons are at a 15° degrees, staggered piston four in one bank and four in the other it's half.
@@toadinthehole8085 yes, i know! but i'm really curious, how fit the w12 in a b5.5, what @jimmy b said :) phaeton have a w12, passat w8, where the trick is??
I have a B6 Audi S4, it's not a w8, but it's still insane how tight of a fit the V8 is.
Pretty similar to this and all the B5s
On the contrary, you should absolutely bring it to a twisty back road and you will be amazed how well it drives.
I worked for VW when this car and Phaeton came out. We were all scratching our heads a bit. Yeah Piech was a madman for sure. Did enjoy the ride and drive they gave us on this car and the Phaeton.
The B5 and B5.5 were good and reliable cars. My first car in US was a 2000 V6 manual FWD with 100k miles in 2004 and that thing drove like new and engine was super smooth. Loved the car....unfortunatelly, i crashed it couple times and that was it :(
B5 audi, although darling of the slammy boyz, is a fantastic car. I actually love the v6 manual version. The steering is telepathic and the 2.8 is a long lived utterly reliable torque monster
@@josephhertzberg2734 2.8 30v owner. Can confirm the 5 valves per cylinder is a unique sound with lots of torque
@@SkylineFinesse I had a6 c5 with same engine and it blew headgasket at only 180k miles 🤔 Not sure if i got unlucky or something.
I had an 02 Passat from this era that I bought new in Honolulu. The dealer had a W8 in the showroom at the time, which I lusted over, but I didn’t have the wallet for that at the time. I LOVED that Passat. Shipped it from Hawaii to Oakland, CA a year later and drove it cross country to Connecticut with my father-in-law. It was the most pleasurable driving experience. These cars really were a joy to drive and so smooth and comfortable. I’ve gone through 8 VWs since then and I’m still chasing that feeling of my blue 02 Passat.
Super cool car! Back when VW was doing crazy things, and we loved them for it…
It's crazy to think i found one of these at my local car yard. This one was the 4 motion w8 wagon with the 6 speed. I ended up buying the shift knob from the car as a souvenir. I never thought the rarest car I'd ever see would be from there!
Heartbreaking too bad you couldn’t bought the whole car
I have a 2004 W8 auto here in Australia, absolutely love it. Completely stock with 210,000kms on it. The leather is Nappa leather and it holds up really well. I also have a 2001 Bora V6 4motion Manual with the same interior spec. Both brilliant cars, provided you do the maintenance.
Is the Bora a 24V VR6??
@@LithiuM230 yes
@@mtozzy11 very nice pair of cars!
I have a 1990 Corrado G60 and 1989 Jetta coupe 12V VR6 swap. I love them!
TFL classics...might be my favorite channel. And everything Brendan brings is just great 👍🏼
The closest I can get to this is my parents CC that they got new in 2014, which already at that point was decently aged having been based off the B6 Passat. But I'm so glad they still have it and leagues better than anything else VW currently sells. I lowkey hope they get an Arteon to keep the VW tradition alive in the fam.
Meh, the B6s are like Golfs unlike the B5 with multilink which are pretty much Audis.
My mother-in-law had a W8 exactly like that one that she only drove around the city with. However, I'd run it up from DC to Waterfest at Englishtown Raceway every summer. It would cruise up & down 95 at 100+ effortlessly and felt insanely grounded to the road. She sold it a week before the warranty expired as it rarely went more than a few months without the check engine light coming on.
I loved my VR6 Manual Transmission Passat Wagon. It was fully loaded. Great cruiser. Easy to load bikes on the roof. Unfortunately I spent too much time getting it fixed. I miss how fun it was to drive.
Back in 2001 this thing felt like a damn audi. Then again same chassis as the AUDI A4
Was that a B4? The B5 platform never had the VR6. It had the Audi V6 instead since it shared the platform with A4/A6. B6 went back to VR6 and transverse setup shared with the golf platform but didn’t have a manual option.
He was in high school when these came out! Man I feel old 😂
I live in canada and had one of those in the wagon version. The thing was a beast. I loved it, wish i kept it just for fun and collection.
I have a 2003 Turbo S Beetle with only 9600 miles on it. I love early 2000 vw’s!
I hear ya. Owned a 2000 Jetta TDI.
The 1.9 TDI B5 Passat (4 cylinder, Diesel, sold in Europe) is incredibly reliable, almost like a Toyota.
Believe what you must
@@kevinbarry71 the petrol ones are not good
@@kevinbarry71 he's right tho, those tdi's are insanely reliable
The ALH engine code, IIRC? I had the ALH 1.9 in my 2000 Jetta TDI and it is a very well regarded motor, for sure.
@@SupraStar29 The engines were; however they were still put in a Volkswagen
I remember the w8 but I didn't remember they did a manual version, that's freaking awesome.....
This guy is totally right. The coolest cars are on FB Marketplace lmfao. The 4motion Passats are awesome even with the 1.8tsi.
Thank you, THANK YOU for the Passat W8 videos buddy! Especially the info on the muffler delete!!! I’ll make a Y pipe so I can have the best of both worlds.
i have a b5.5 wagon. its a good car, very solid. and yep well into the 200K miles, keeping up with maintenance is crucial.
I have owned one like this, also sedan, same colour, no manual but an automatic. Indeed once you adressed the cam adjusting system and the thermostat (€680,= part price in Europe) it will run long and without major issues. I treated mine with Forté before every oil change to prevent the adjusters to seize up due to oil sludge, worked like a charm. The thing you guys forgot to mention is the stiffness of the body. Only with the B5.5 W8 Volkswagen made the body extra stiff in order to have more stabilty at high speeds. I had mine op to 285 Km./h. (about 170 Mph.) on an empty stretch of German autobahn. The thing didn't break a sweat and felt as stable as on lower speeds. Of course also this won't make a racecar out of a Passat, but i thought it was worth the mention.
Good luck with that nice sounding W8, hope she will give you many more miles of fun.
Thank you Tommy. Love that series of Passats 1997-2004, often referred to as the poor man's Audi.
Wait, then what do you call the actual B5 A4 Audi 94-02 that the Passat was based on?
I remember in 2004 I came up behind one of these in my tuned Peugeot 405 Mi16. Was about to go past him to see if he would have a bit of a race and noticed 2 small blue lights in the corners of the rear windows... In N.Ireland the police were the only people who bought them. Would love one now but impossible to get
That is mad I got pulled in by the plod when driving a Ford transit van.
Yes they were In a w8, game over.
My Dad bout a 2002 VW Passat V6. It was a NICE cruiser. 5 hour road trips were a breeze. I liked the cool feature where you could control the windows and sunroof with the key.
Truly a one of a kind!! RIP the era where VW was truly very innovative!! They just don't make these unicorns anymore!!
@Jose Alberto Rosa-Suliveres I couldn't agree with you more!! Having owned two German built Passats previously, they were my favourite daily driver sedans of all time!! Once I wanted to upgrade, I did test drive the B7 Passat, and while the TDI version was okay, I ultimately decided to upgrade to the next best thing: the Audi A4/S4!! Made in Germany makes a huge difference in quality. German cars are generally much nicer to drive.
@@mohamedkandil1789 The Passat was built in the US?????????
@@3n3ly7m9 For the North American market (Mexico, US, and Canada), VW has been building the Passat at the Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant since 2012 (B7 platform). 2022 will mark the final year of production of the Passat in North America as a mid-size sedan powered by an internal combustion engine. The Passat may very well return as an EV later on. They decided to keep the Arteon as the flagship sedan, which is still built in Germany.
One of the best cars I’ve ever owned...... a total sleeper!! Had it for almost 10 years......
I test drove a W8 manual wagon at the VW in Reno, NV back when they were new. I was 18ish and I tried my best to get my dad to buy it but even though my dad loved cars and we had lots of cool cars as far as VW went all he was interested in was a TDI to save a ton of money when he was driving all over the western part of the country. He had his Audi for his AWD manual car.
That exhaust sound insanely good and I respect the owner..it was the car he always wanted then he finally gets it..but then he spenthe 3k to make the engine and now it run well and sound like a monster
i had one of these, put over 100,000 miles on it. The rear seats did not fold down because of the chassis brace. the two fuel tanks. Which means it was the only B5.5 passat with a space saving spare. The fuel gauge going up after there was enough room in the front tank was something odd. The 135MPH limiter, the impressive brakes, and the confidence the AWD system would give you to yeet into a corner with no regard to your own life. What a car.
That's a really nice looking interior too. Volkswagens are nice. Not reliable but God are they nice to drive. My '09 Passat is still my favorite car I've owned to this day and I've driven almost every brand and owned 20 different cars from an 07 V12 bmw to a '16 Lincoln mkz 3.7 to a 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0, to a 2013 dodge charger rt, to a 1997 Lincoln mark viii....lots of variety! That Passat with the turbo was fun as hell 😂
I owned an 03 W8. Absolutely loved blowing the doors off other cars. Total sleeper
I almost bought a W8 Passat Wagon manual about 5 years back. There was one on eBay reasonably priced, but high miles. It probably needed an engine build, but for how rare they are, I probably missed a gold opportunity.
I have a 2003 W8 with 156K and have only been able to take it to the VW Dealer to get it fix when needed. I like working on it myself but a lot of the things I would do I can't because you have to go through the engine bay and I do not have the right tools or the space to tear down a car. but I love this car it is so much fun!!
Mine has never had cam adjusters replaced, its at 180k and still going strong.
I've owned 3 B5.5 Passat wagon diesels in the past... I just picked up the 4th one about a month ago. Every time I sell one I've previously owned, I end up pining to have it back.
I've owned a lot of cars, I've sat in and drove a lot of different cars over the years thanks to working in shops as a technician. For whatever reason, I keep coming back to this generation of Passat as one I just like to be behind the wheel of from a comfort, head room and just nice-to-cruise-down-the-highway use. The wagons are super spacious for hauling stuff, too.
For a mid-sized car, there's a surprising amount of rear leg room in these. Fairly long wheelbase for what's not a super wide car.
I love most VWs from the early to mid 2000s. The sheet metal feels thicker, higher quality. These Passats do just feel like mini tanks driving down the road. Super solid-feeling.
They're not exciting in the sense of outright performance and handling, but there's another quality to the feel of being behind the wheel of these that's just simply... satisfying, somehow.
Old friend of mine from when I lived in Michigan owns one of the super rare W8 manual wagons, black on black. He swears there's only 7 that are black on black W8 manual wagons like his. Someday I'll find one for myself, along with a W12 Phaeton. That will complete my "Piech Trifecta" of over the top mid 2000s VWs with wild engines inspired by that man. I already own a Touareg with the 10 cylinder TDI...
Loved my manual 1.8t 2003 Passat wagon.... sold it at 202k miles. I carried a spare coil in the glove box which was the only issue I had with the car.... super easy to work on
One of the coolest cars in this channel...,amazing car from a, probably, Volkswagen's golden era.... well done👍🤝
It’s so difficult to understand when you guys in the usa call the B5 passat “unreliable” in general. Like whaaat.. in Europe they have such a good reputation, for being one of the most reliable cars ever.. some of tdis here have more than 1m km on the dash.. hows that unreliable? 😁..
They are Americans, they have wierd motorisation look.
When they talk about audi 100, they will tell you again thats its unreliable. xD
But rust bucked toyota is god for them.
I bought a b5 station 1.8 20vt manual about 4 yrs ago for 700! euros , I only had to repair the brake discs and locks on the doors and I changed the interior because I could buy the whole black leather interior for 150 euros from the scrapyard.
So far I have put another 45000 km on it and now I have to repair some stuff on the suspension.
But thats not too bad, just normal maintenance.
Its one of the more reliable cars Ive had.
Got now 248k km on the gauge, though the clutch also needs to be done some day but other then that no weird problems.
I do the repairs myself so its just really cheap to keep it driving.
The engine runs smooth , steers great , has a lot space inside etc.
I have not one reason why I would buy a different car.
Because the VWs and Audi's they buy in the US are built mainly in Mexico. They don't have the same standards as EU spec models, like for example they don't galvanize the bodies the same way they do in Wolfsburg.
No, not the craziest thing the ever did. They made a really BIG Passat called the Phaeton with a W12. The level of sheer madness that was engineered into that thing is mind-boggling. The W8 Passat, well, that's just cool. EDIT: Still watching...I see you know about this mad man.
Agree that the Phaeton is crazier. However, really cool that you can get the W8 with a 6-speed
OH YES I am from germany and my mom has had a Diesel Passat since 2003 - keeps running, but I have been dreaming always about a W8 and there is so little online content about them. Finally you guys do it. I love it.
0:20 Luv the sound of the flat-plane crankshaft VV8
I had a W8 for a few months (it had just over 100k miles). Had cam issues and dealership wanted $8,000 to fix. Loved it for the few months I had it.
I have a 6speed w8 wagon. Favorite car I've ever owned.
Tommy, wanna try a V10 TDI Phaeton? I'm from EU, but you're welcome to try it out when you're in the neighbourhood
I have an '04 Passat 1.8t(20v) with 4motion and a manual and it's pretty bonkers too. Fast, and a LOT of fun and not the maintenance nightmare the w8 is. And the ESP button Tommy pointed out is essentially a traction control off button for even more fun ^^
Same engine as the Audi TT 225, and much lighter.
@@Manu-Official The TT225 used K04. The lightest 1.8T car you can get a is a B5 A4. The Passat having extended frame and other whatnots, made it around 100-200lb in lightest trim i.e FWD, Manual, Cloth
@@3n3ly7m9 No. Lightest 1.8T car you can get is seat ibiza 1.8T.
@@bapr3887 Thats not in America. But yeah thats lightest transverse application, though its also not longitude.
Plastics in Toyotas fall apart really bad too 😂😂. In my 99 Corolla, I had to replace every door handle, a cup holder, a storage bin cover, and arear view mirror. The headliner eventually started sagging too.
The b5 stationwagon 1.9 tdi is awesome!
My brother has the wagon version 2004 6 speed manual W8 wagon, 1 of 95. Freaking love it!
What version was that? 95?
@5:37 It was basically a test mule. It is a complex design that is neither particularly powerful nor particularly frugal. :D
Sorta related - before I purchased my 2009 JSW TDi manual, I test-drove a JSW 2.0T manual. It wasn't an advertised model and I've never seen another one on the road since. Definitely a unicorn. Neat machine but back then the TDi had a clean vehicle rebate and no sales tax, and it was significantly cheaper to buy in the long run vs the gas turbo. Loved the TDi, had a Unitronic tune and sold it back to VW for like 11.5k with 220k on the odo for the scandal. Bought an Mk7 R with the extra dough :)
Eight cylinders, AWD, and a manual transmission
This was a labor of love
Did 0-60 in 6.7 seconds, which was pretty good, 20 years ago.
My buddy has this same Passat in wagon variety. Supposed to be 1 of 1 in that combo and color. It no longer has the w8 but it has all the proof that it was once.
Like this guys collection of unique “normal” vehicles
I have a 2003 Passat W8! 126000 miles and it’s a fantastic car!
Awesome video as ever; and thanks to the white Peugeot 404 parked in the back, I found your Peugeot video too :)
I never knew they made so few of these… a local mechanic in Danvers MA had THREE of these things that he was maintaining.
W8 manual Passat and a w12 phaeton are on my list of “rare” North American vw cars to own. Should fit in nicely with my v10 TDI’s.
1:28 nope! it's a Passat B5,5 and it come out in 2001
I own a 2003 W8 6-speed and I will probably never get rid of it. Love this car.
There's just one here in Brazil and it's a Variant W8 with manual gearbox, they've posted a video of that car here in RUclips.
Love the W8 Passats. Thanks for showing.
Fantastic video. Love that car for what it is. What a cool and rare gem. Thanks
I own a 04 1.8T FWD with 242,000 miles currently. My first and definitely my best car (in my opinion beings I’ve owned also a 2020 Civic Touring Sedan)! Definitely buy one if you see one for sale!
I daily drive a 2004 W8 and I love it. Best car I’ve ever owned and it’s a beast in the winter here in Canada.
Nice j got a 03 6spd in canada amazing car for our climate
The wagon version would be the holy grail...ridiculously cool..( & fragile)
No they are fundamentally very durable. A pretty heavy construction like all german cars.
Yeah vw’s are actually very strong structurally
What a gorgeous car I have the b5.5 130bhp 6 speed estate and I love it so much full leather sunroof car has everything and she is still going strong with 24000 miles
I bought my W8 new and still have it to go with my V10 tdi Touareg which I also bought new. They are a bit of a money pit but they are fun to drive. They are both great in the snow.
12:54 its been on my dream car list for a long time now i would stop and chat it up 10000% my boys would too
Great video! Feels like the Doug Demuro videos from the past.
Piech Golden Era Vehicles are the most amazing vehicles you can find these days, back when over-engineering was cool.
B5/B5.5 Passat is built on the same platform as the A4 but arguably better as far as the interior goes. The center console is larger and nicer where the A4 is the same as the Jetta interior wise. This Passat is one of few VW's to receive the Torsen instead of the Haldex in the 4Motion models. Transverse engines get the Haldex. Even the FWD model isn't transverse mounted. The W8 was a project to test the new cylinder design that evolved to the W12 found in the Phaeton and T1 Touareg, then later the W16 in the Veyron. VW has some hidden gems most have no clue exist. Glovebox also has an A/C vent and is sized for a 750ml wine bottle (chiller box).
The Passat has a extended frame/chassis compared to the A4 and also uses different rear suspension setup from FWD models compared to Passat FWD. Interior design of the Passat/Jetta compared to the A4/S4 was abet *blah*. As the W8 was a project, the W12 came in 2001 A8L W12 and most were released at the same time. But yeah, any of the cars I just spoek of can be had for Pennies. Theres a $1,500 V10 TDI Touareg with blown turbo seals, about 6, W8 Automatic Wagons for under $3,000. And then Any and all B5s range from Free to 20,000mile S4s at $40,000. I may be a bit biased I have 4 A4s, S4, and D3 A8
@@3n3ly7m9 Rear suspension, eds system, electronics and whole awd system is from A6 C5 quattro.
Thats why Passat B5 is not from A4 B5. Its mixed car, 1/2 of car is similar to A4 B5 and 1/2 car is very similar to A6 C5.
@@bapr3887 If thats the case is more related to front end of B6 A4. If you look at the development S4 B6 you will see that the front end was to close and it has to step out like the (Yet there is V10 B5 S4 sooo.. more of just a commercial packaging concern) Passat the Coresupport, noticeable in all B5.5, that why it gives it such a elongated ugly front end, just like the A6 cause it all infront of the drive wheels.
@@3n3ly7m9 Its normal frontend. Only fr and fmr rwd frontend are short due to giving rear axle as much weight.
Rumour has it that the W8 was VAG's experiment with the W style engine that would later be used in the Phaeton and A8 (W12) and finally the W16 used in the Veyron.
“You can’t pour these millions of dollars to develop an engine and then put it in ONE MODEL”
::Caddy Blackwing has entered the chat::
I have a 92 Corrado I bought new so this car impressed me. It is really an Audi S4 alternative.
An example from the golden age of creativity at Volkswagen. Surely the best era for enthusiasts.
Crazy capable but soft looking SUV with a redicolous choice of engines.
8 cylinder Passat.
6 cylinder AWD Golf.
12 cylinder luxury sedan (basically a Bentley).
I had an ‘01 S4 Avant in that time frame, fun times. Would love to own the last, Gen3 TDI turbo V8 Touareg. 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque. Schnell zug!
One of the most popular car in Poland (10-15 years ago), but with 1.9TDI engine👍
I have wanted one of these for years this is a bad ass car
My Passat had the 2.8L VR6. Many people forget about it. You forget about it yourself.
I miss VW of this era :/ Also, always thought it was funny that VW gave you 5 heat settings but Audi gave you 6. A true step up in luxury lol
"This is a Passat with 8 cylinders, AWD, and a manual transmission. And we just so happened to catch it running so we better make this video EXTREMELY quickly."
One of my dream cars is a passat wagon w8 with a manual. Only so little brought to the states