Yahoo Autos Volkswagen shows us the Phaeton that never was
The Phaeton is one of the most interesting Volkswagens and may be a better story than any of the brand’s most iconic models. The massively expensive luxury sedan lasted just a few model years in North America, but VW had plans to update the car for a new generation. The automaker just pulled back the curtain on the Phaeton D2, a luxury car that never made it past the prototype stage.
Volkswagen only sold a few thousand of the original cars, likely due to their extreme complexity and price tags. Here in the United States, the “base” V8-powered car came with a $65,600 price tag, and the W12 variant started at nearly $96,000. Adjusted for inflation, those totals come to $103,534 and $150,882, respectively. Ouch. Six-figure price tags hurt, even when they’re sitting on an exotic window sticker, but it’s unheard of on a Volkswagen.
The car was so expensive and complicated that it was discontinued in the U.S. after 2006. Internationally, however, VW updated the Phaeton for several years afterward with features such as a touchscreen infotainment system and advanced driver aids.
