Volkswagen has stunned the Tokyo International Motor Show with a revolutionary sports car that is as unique under the skin as it is beautiful to look at, and which firmly demonstrates VW’s plans to dramatically expand its range with new engines above its four, five and six cylinder range. Called the Volkswagen W12, its heart is a new 12 cylinder engine of 5.6 litres, producing 420 bhp at 5800 rpm and it offers 530 Nm of torque at 5800 rpm. But what makes this engine unique is its cylinder layout - four banks of three cylinders in a ‘W’ configuration, making it unusually compact for an engine of this size, at just 510 mm long and 700 mm wide. It has been created by, effectively, taking two of Volkswagen’s narrow angle V6 engines, which have a ‘V’ of 15 degrees and placing them together in a ‘V’ of 72 degrees.

The Volkswagen W12 looks like no other VW seen before and, thanks to a unique W12 engine, goes like no other VW ! With four banks of three cylinders, this new engine from Volkswagen is a `W', not a `V', and will be used in a new generation of VWs.

The cylinder blocks are aluminium with plasma coated cylinder liners. Magnesium is used for valve covers and timing chain guards.

An elaborate engine control system with stepless hydraulic camshaft adjustment achieves a powerful and even torque spread, which is transmitted via a seven bearing crankshaft with offset crank pins to a six speed gearbox. The engine is positioned longitudinally ahead of the rear axle and drives all four wheels via the Volkswagen Syncro viscous coupling system.

The Volkswagen W12 has been styled by Ital Design, but it is not a pure flight of fancy with Volkswagen badges, divorced from existing Volkswagen models. The roof line, for example, is clearly linked to the New Volkswagen Beetle and the new Volkswagen Passat, while the rear of the car matches the new Volkswagen Golf and the front wheel arches echo those of the New Beetle.

The body is a monocoque construction with scissor-type upward swinging doors. It is 4.4 metres long and 1.92 metres wide, but just 1.04 metres tall. It weights in at 1.2 tonnes on its 19 inch alloy wheels, fitted with 285/35 ZR 19 tyres at the rear and 255/40 ZR 19 front tyres. Needless to say, with the performance potential offered by the W12 engine, it has disc brakes on all wheels.

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