W8 Volkswagen Passat With Rare Manual Transmission Could Be Yours
Bizarre eight-cylinder all-wheel-drive Volkswagen Passat W8 is rare in its own right. However, a manual transmission makes it the holy grail.
The last thing that comes to mind when you think of a Volkswagen Passat is a rarity. Furthermore, you wouldn’t often think of them as anything special in general. That’s because typically, they aren’t—passats equipped with the V6 or 1.8-liter Turbo engine options area dime a dozen. In fact, you’ll likely find them littered all over junkyards in your area. However, the W8 Passat is a bit of a different story. These bonkers models come with a 4.0-liter W8 engine that delivers 270 horsepower to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. The engine uses the same basic construction as the W12 found in Bentley models and the W16 found in the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron. Why Volkswagen chose such an outlandish platform for a mid-size sedan, we’ll never know. We’re not mad at it, though!
This 2003 Passat W8 is currently listed on Cars and Bids. The rarity of this engine isn’t the full story on this particular example, either. This one takes it further, as it is equipped with the massively desirable six-speed manual transmission. That’s right! You could be cruising around in early 2000s budget luxury with eight cylinders under the hood and the choice of six gears at your fingertips. Who wouldn’t want that?
Surprisingly Luxurious and Still In Great Shape
This was the top-of-the-line model when it was new in 2003. So, you’ll find that there’s quite a lot of great equipment on this thing! It has auto-leveling HID headlights, powered and heated front seats, leather upholstery throughout, keyless entry, and a power sunroof.
Additionally, this model has the Sport Package. That gets you the 17-inch BBS wheels, firmer shocks, and stiffer springs.
When new, this car was about $40,000. That was enough to get you a pretty nicely equipped Audi A4! Considering inflation, that works out to about $60,000 in today’s money. That’s a pricey Volkswagen!
At 159,000 miles, we don’t expect this to fetch a massive hammer price. But, As you might expect with that mileage, too, it has some flaws.
According to the listing, the parking brake does not currently work, the exhaust has some rust on the underside, the wheels have curb rash, and it’s got a handful of scratches and rock chips. What do you expect? It’s still a Passat, after all. Somebody used this as a typical everyday car! However, the condition of the interior and underhood plastics show that it was under the ownership of a responsible individual who cared for it properly.
It did recently get a set of new rear brake calipers and some vacuum line repairs.
Not Perfect, but Perfect For Driving Every Day
While this isn’t a flawless piece of Volkswagen showroom history, you wouldn’t want it to be. Someone bought and used this car precisely as a Passat is meant to be used. This car is a perfect example demonstrating that you can use a car and put a ton of miles on it without it getting destroyed. Now, it’s on to the next lucky owner who wants to experience a bit of early 2000s VW weirdness without shelling the money out for a Phaeton.
If you play your cards right, it could be you! As of writing, this Passat W8 is at $3,000.
Photos: Cars and Bids