Volkswagen W12

The Volkswagen W12 Coupe (also known as the Volkswagen Nardo, with reference to the city of Nardò) was a concept car created by Volkswagen in 1997.

Conception

[http://archive.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2001/tokyo/highlights/images/vw-w12-1122s.jpgPicture] .At the request of then VW CEO Ferdinand Piech, Giorgetto Giugiaro and his Italdesign team was to design a Volkswagen supercar, with instructions that it had to accommodate a 12 cylinder engine in a W configuration, be mid-engined, and also be able to be configured with VW's Syncro AWD system.

Another reason for its conception was to prove to the world that Volkswagen could build a large and reliable engine for its luxury car, the Phaeton, and its SUV, the Touareg.

The Concepts

1997 W12 syncro

In 1997, at the Tokyo Motor Show Volkswagen debuted their first supercar concept, a bright yellow W12 syncro Coupe with a 5.6L W12 engine producing 309 kW (420 bhp) with Syncro AWD. It and the W12 Concepts after it were all designed by the Italdesign firm in Italy.

*Length 4400mm
*Width 1920mm
*Height 1100mm
*Wheelbase 2530mm
*Front Track 1620mm
*Rear Track 1600mm
*Front Overhang 1000mm
*Rear Overhang 870mm
*Engine Position Mid Longitudinal
*Drive All Wheel Drive
*Engine 5600cc/cm3 W12
*Power 420hp / 309KW

1998 W12 Roadster

A year later at the Geneva Auto Salon a red W12 Roadster with the same 5.6 W12 engine and rear-wheel drive configuration was shown.

*Length 4400mm
*Width 1920mm
*Height 1000mm
*Wheelbase 2530mm
*Front Track 1634mm
*Rear Track 1652mm
*Front Overhang 990mm
*Rear Overhang 880mm
*Engine Position Mid Longitudinal
*Drive Rear Wheel Drive
*Engine 5600cc/cm3 W12
*Power 420hp / 309KW

2001 concept

In 2001, at the Tokyo Motor Show, VW released their most powerful W12 supercar concept yet, in Bright Orange. The engine was rated at producing 441kW (512hp) and 621 Nm (458 ft·lbf) of torque; it could go from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in about 3.5 seconds and had a top speed of 350 km/h (214 mph), weighing just 1200 kg. It was one of the fastest supercar concepts in the world.

24 Hour World Record Holder

A special unpainted carbon fiber version of the W12 Coupe set 7 world 24-hour speed records at the Nardò Circuit [Notice that original Italian names has stress on the last syllable.] near Lecce, Italy. The car's nickname was derived from the circuit.

In Popular Culture

The Nardo has also been popular in other media. The scale model car maker Maisto produces a scale model of the Nardo as part of their collection, and Matchbox produces a Nardo as part of their special collection series.

Video Games

* "Project Gotham Racing 2" has the Nardo and several other vehicles as part of their "Long Beach Booster Pack" up for download on Xbox Live.
* Its sequel, "Project Gotham Racing 3", features the Nardo in the game.
* "Gran Turismo 4" features the Nardo as well.
* "Test Drive Unlimited" features the W12 Concepts as unlockable vehicles.
* "World Racing 2" features it plus shows it in the front cover of the game.
* "GTI Racing" has the Nardo
* "" is the second car to be confirmed for its DLC car pack.

Notes

External links and references

* [http://www.italdesign.it/dinamic/pressandvideo/article.php?id=25 Italdesign's Official W12 History Site]
* [http://www.italdesign.it/dinamic/gallery/gallery_scheda.php?id=34&num_rows=7&family=a&data_a_brand=Volkswagen 1997 W12 syncro Coupe Specifications - Italdesign]
* [http://www.italdesign.it/dinamic/gallery/gallery_scheda.php?id=31&num_rows=7&family=a&data_a_brand=Volkswagen 1998 W12 Roadster Specifications - Italdesign]
* [http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/vw_w12.asp Volkswagen W12 Concept — RSportsCars.com]
* [http://vw.co.uk/new_devs/nardo VW UK's Official Nardo Page]