This 2004 VW Phaeton has a Bentley engine crammed under the hood. Why is it at CAR WIZARD's shop? 

Funfact: In Europe this thing was aviable with a 5.0 V10 Diesel. Insane!

As a Phaeton owner, I can confirm these are amazing cars, but hideously expensive to maintain.

Bank1 and Bank2 lean condition means that your bank accounts won't cover the repair.

Daniel just said Welcome to the shop. We’re going to look at this VW Phaeton. Then he asked what all the stains on your pants were.

The Phaeton was Ferdinand Piech's baby and he came up with all of the crazy standards this car had to meet. Not crazy as in stupid but crazy as in how hard the engineers had to work to meet them, to make the worlds most advanced car. I've always wanted to own one of the W12 models but reading about all of the problems and the cost of repairs have kept me on the sidelines. When these were new the VW dealers had to be certified to work on the Phaeton so you just couldn't go to any VW dealer for service. Cool to see you taking on the repairs to this car.

The reason the Phaeton didn't sell well in the US is because American customers were used to cheap cars with VW badges and the Phaeton sticker just sent most into shock. I saw a V8 model in a used car lot locally for sale for months for $3k with no takers.

We loved our 2004 W12 Phaeton and our 2006 V8 Phaeton, they were the best highway cars I've ever owned.

I'm fluent in spanish and I understood that he said. He said, "Welcome back to the Wizard's shop and today we're going to talk about this VW Phaeton." He also said how did you get those stains on your pants, and you answered him 100% correctly when you said idk I've been having fun I guess. Then he says, "that's unusual!" I provide Spanish language interpretation for customers all the time at the Toyota dealership where I work.

Trivia: The W12 engine is a modular engine, based upon the Volkswagen VR6 engine. Basically it is two VR6's siamesed together at the crankshaft at a 72 degree angle. This allows the W12 to be built on some of the same tooling as the VR6, saving costs. The VR6 itself is what is known as a "safety" engine. Another name is the "taco engine". It was designed around the engine bay of the MK3 VW Golf/Jetta. VW wanted to install a 6 cylinder engine in these cars, but the problem was that an inline 6 would be too long. VW puts the transverse engine on the passenger side and the transmission on the drivers side, and an L6 would not work with this, it would need a transmission mounted behind the engine, a major new [expensive] component useable on only a few designs. A 60 degree V6 would work with existing transmissions, but the problem with that is that in a frontal impact the engine would hit the firewall and thus push the dashboard toward passengers, resulting in injuries. Honda put the first V6 in an Accord by stretching the nose of the car 60 mm, but this would result in two different bodies and much higher costs. The VR6 solved the problem by taking a 60 degree V6 design and folding it like a taco down to only 15 degrees. It has the intake on the front bank and the exhaust on the rear bank, and one cylinder head for both banks. That means that the front cylinders have a short intake runner while the rear cylinders have longer runners. The opposite is true with the exhausts. Thus, the front bank of cylinders has a different cam profile from the rear bank, and timing and fuel injection curves are slightly different as well. Fascinating design, and they sound fantastic with a good exhaust!

Que bonito oir Español en un video de Car Wizard, gracias Daniel!

In the mid-2000’s, while on business in Dresden Germany, I took a tour of the “Glass Factory” as it was called where VW built the Phaeton. It was a state of the art factory. Buyers could order a new Phaeton and watch it being built or simply visit to take delivery. It was one of the nicest auto factories I had ever seen at the time. I think they build the Bentley’s there now.

The Phaeton is still sold in China (only), but now it's called Phideon. Is build over MLB platform (A4, Q5, A6, A7, A8, Macan) and have 2 engine option, the turbo 4 cylinders EA888 and supercharged V6 EA837

“Using the parts cannon instead of using the diagnostic Cannon”- Perfectly stated, all of our local mechanics just like to throw parts at the car, because, after all, the customer pays for it, not them. I’ve yet to see one local mechanic use a code scanner, or a smoke machine. One of our local mechanics told the lady that she needed a new head gasket. He was just guessing, because when she had another mechanic look at it, and pressure test it, the guy said, “hey, all you need is a new radiator cap.” That’s all it was, but again, when you have lazy mechanics who don’t want to diagnose the problem, you end up spending lots of money on unnecessary repairs. We no longer use the mechanics in our small town, we have to go to the big city next-door to get good repairs.

The intro was funny as hell😂😂😂keep up the great work you do for that car world Wizard

I’ve had this exact problem for about 4 years on my BMW 740i E38. Same error code about mixture limit reached on bank B. The smoke check and your comments on old BMWs have inspired me to get back under the hood this weekend, thanks wizard!

I love car wizard’s wife describing things doug style. Its like- just the perfect amount of information lol

In fact the Audi A8 was the first model in 2001 which got the W12 treatment.

Awesome intro Car Wizard😂😂😂!!! Daniel was great no worries 😎

Shops with a diagnostic culture are the shops that you want to take your vehicle to. Very good work Omega Auto crew!

The W12 engine was co developed by Audi and Bentley, so it made sense for a detuned version to be used by VW.

Today, I saw one in person in front of Crown Plaza hotel in Belgrade. From a distance, it looks like a Passat B5, but only if you get real close, you can notice it. For me, it is ultimate luxury car that is meant to be enjoyed, and not be shown off like status symbol.

I didnt expect daniel knowing spanish lol, definitely would watch him working on cars in spanish, and dw wizard he didnt say anything offensive lol

I least one for 39 months in 2004 what a wonderful car ,

Are physical buttons now considered obsolete and something that should be mocked? I like physical buttons as long as they don't look and feel cheap.

Car wizard I'm Tinashe from Zimbabwe ... I find your videos very educational ..keep it up man

i currently drive the smaller w8 passat currently at 250 k miles without any major issues

Love This Car! Go W12!!!!!! AweSome Work CarWizard!

I have a A8L W12 but this is a sleeper car . Quick with out attracting attention. Maintenance costs though for a W12 are eye watering

One of the most underrated cars.

I'm from Spain, literally 10/10 for Daniel San, more intros like this one pleaseee ;)

I love the idea behind this car and the 18-way adjustable seats are lovely. (It was the cheapest ventilated seat I could get for my office chair project. I love seeing an almost identical seat and switch panel in Bentleys.)

a cousin had one of these....bought it with an extended warranty...an excellent driving car, so long as you were not paying for maintenance.

As a native Spanish speaker, I was really confused there for a few seconds, wondering if YT now had some autodubbing feature or something.

I love the music when the cars go on the lift.

This is neither nitpicking nor trolling: You have it the wrong way 'round: that is a VW engine through and through. And the "Bentley" which shared it was only a "Bentley" because Volkswagen bought the brand. Really it was a Volkswagen Phaeton which was rebadged as a Bentley. That is no hyperbole, that is _exactly_ what it was. Both the engine and the "Bentley" were designed and made by Volkswagen.

Love seeing these! I wish VW still made a Phaeton. Great for someone who wants an luxury car with all the amenities without the luxury badge.

OOOOHHH !! Siempre veo los uploads del Car Wizard. Y ahora que se de alguien que trabaja alla y que habla claro Español , con mayor razon los veo. Muy interesamntes. Cheeers from Chile . Siii desde Chile ...extremo Sur del mundo.

Car wizard. Thanks for your videos man. I dont know a whole lot about cars but have learned a great amount on what type of cars to avoid and to go for as i have been car shopping.

Holy crap, I understood him! He didn't say anything that shouldn't be said...that was good.

Wow I was surprised at the beautiful interior of this VW. 2004, someone loved her. Bud, Jen frequently watch your channel. It's always interesting.

Love the intro 😂

Thanks Mrs. Wizard for showing us the inside of the Buttonmobile.

Glad to see (finally) a Phaeton in the chanel. Happy and proud owner of a '07 V6 diesel. I do enjoy every mile driven on her...just amazing ride. Ok, not for win any drag race, but...who cares??? I do not have to rush. Cheers!!

One of the most underrated cars ever made.

As the owner of this car, Phaeton W12 2007, the same hose was cracked, I would be very interested if you got the original and how much they cost, because it will be close to 1000 usd anyway just for the original hose, in Europe they can no longer be bought even at the VW factory, I tried that ! And yes, I can confirm, one of the most comfortable cars I've ever owned in 35 years , and one of the most difficult to maintain, for example, replacing the starter - you have to remove the engine !

Amazing how clean the interior looks because my 2000 VW Jetta VR6 with tan leather has rubber bits pealing and breaking all over the place and wood trim cracked with only 64k miles. Purchased off showroom floor.

Been wanting one for many years...Never found one I liked...only saw one in person...Loved it!

The pipes have lasted nearly 20 years. You cannot complain about that really. Assuming they're original parts.

Wizard! It's not based on the A8L. The VW/ Bentley are a D1 frame, which is steel. The Audi is a D3 frame, which is aluminum. That's why the VW weigh 500 KG more than the Audi😊

Interesting clip , thanks for sharing

I've got a 2015 3.0 TDI and appreciate the video! One point of correction: It isn't a A8L, it was built on the Bentley Continental platform. Hence the weight.

A brilliantly disguised gem! Problematic? … absolutely (the overly complex trunk mechanisms, for starters $$$!). But a true work of engineering passion. I love them… but I’d look or their V8 version, personally. Thanks for the video.

I agree with everything Daniel said. Thank you, Wizard and Mrs. Always wanted a Phaeton or A8, not the W12, but the 4.2 V8, as a backup car - but know it could be a budget buster. 🤣Plastic tubing around the engine - sounds like a Porsche Cayenne

Perfect timing, need a after work nap. Thank you for the up load.

I loved these W12 things so much!!!

Pretty cool to see this one. One of volkswagen's mad moments. If I remember Volkswagen CEO demanded this car to be created or something like that ( was mentioned in a very old Top Gear episode ).

If Euroasian Bob could find one with 10,000 miles, tempting…

“Hits from the bong” bro I’m loving this car more and more now and it’s got 420hp awd

Genuine chuckle at the intro.

I think that VAG is phasing out the VR series of engines in general. They are compact and work well, but they are expensive to build relative to other designs.

the W12 is basically two VR6 engines from the 90s sharing the same crank.

That's one big book of service records! Every vehicle owner should do that!

I am hoping that the Car Wizard will have a lot more vehicles at Omega Auto Clinic, especially these Nissan's and Infiniti's with the CVT transmission and a late-2000's Chrysler Aspen full-size SUV with the 5.7 L HEMI V8 engine and the five-speed automatic transmission sooner rather than later. We need more of these videos. Thanks again.

LUV 2 HAVE A V8 VERSION OF THIS CLASSIC 💯💯💯

Nothing bad my friend you have a great channel and I enjoy every chapter. Thanks I learn new thing from you experience. Thanks

Car wizard, I had one of these with the smaller engine. I have an iPhone and iPhones do not connect to this system. But it can. The Bluetooth box is underneath the rear parcel shelf. To access it. One has to lie on your back in the boot. The box can be changed with a 2015+ box, it’s plug and play. Just check the plugs. Now it will not bring up your phone book. But once you have your phone called while connected. It will allow hands free. To receive calls, and return calls that it has record of.

Loved the intro! That was funny, with Daniel 😂🤣👍

vw build a factory in Dresden Germany only to build phaeton, it was vw boss's last prestige project 

I would love to own one of these some day if I had the money and time to maintain it.

It is so funny that you showed this car as I saw one about 2 hours ago driving past my house. 5/18/23. Troy Michigan at 14 mile rd. Beautiful cars.

Yeah, Phaeton its like Bentley for repairs and maintenance. And in reality does not cost so much to buy. Thanks.

This was a beautiful VW at the time and still , but wow never saw that kind of movement from front suspension like you said , dangerous! Scary

I remember when these came out. I thought they were really cool. If I remember right, VW was marketing these as hand built. I didn't know it had a Bentley engine, that's kinda cool.

A funny way of opening this video is me driving that Hertz Shelby 😮

He said "Your goat is flirting with me".

There are lots of stories regarding this car, the design team was given a list of functions that the car must attain yet the list was never made public it's supposed to be an amazing vehicle though, I believe there was a 3L version available too.

As the owner of the Phaeton V10 TDi, I must say let's love them while we can, they leave so quickly. Also a funny tidbit. Did you know that this diesel V10 iteration was the only one to win 24H Le Mans as a non-petrol car :) Honestly a fantastic car if the previous owner wasn't a butcher. All engines available in America in the short time they were available are generally durable, though if you don't want to break the bank I would suggest 4.2 petrol. A familiar electrician would also be useful. Believe me in the pre-facelift called GP0 90% of any problems you may experience are due to advanced fickle electronics. And it doesn't even have to be broken right away. It is simply very sensitive to even small voltage drops. Everything can be straightened out, but it can be quite expensive. As far as history is concerned, I would like to debunk a myth that is repeated over and over again. "The Phaeton was built on a Bentley platform." 1. First of all it would be a stupid world if saying "oh no the frame and technology of my car is based on a Bentley" is a bad thing? xD 2. Second, it's simply not true. The truth is that the Bentley Flying Spour and Continental (as well as the frame of the first Porsche Panamera, although the modification was significant here) are based on the VW Phaeton which was commissioned by the then President of the VW concern, Ferdynand Piech

GREAT TRANSLATOR💯👏👍

a truly special motorcar! twin VW VR6's....

Loved the Phaeton and the "budget-Bentley" concept. Guessing it didn't really do too well in the US with the lack of badge appeal. Vain Americans we are.

Daniel said “I’ve been stealing tools and parts from the shop for months and this gringo has no idea.”

11:45 that's definitely the seal. Had to replace mine. Easy to do though... surprisingly on this thing LOL.

Timely video. Moving to Germany and considering buying a 3.0 V6 TDI Phaeton when I get there.

Manufacturers may now be able to get as much power out of a six or four as they used to get out of these larger engines, but they never run as smooth. The whole point of many of the high-cylinder-count engines (V12s, W12s, V16s) was to make them run incredibly smoothly. They were powerful, but many had very small individual cylinders, firing off in rapid succession, balanced to make the engines just purr, rather than the larger vibrations that fewer numbers of cylinders give.

I haven’t driven anything with more than a 4-cylinder engine for maybe 20 years. Okay, more like 16… there was a V6 once I got off the V8 models…

The only Car in the world that can blow hot air when started from cold

All hail to the Great Car Wizard!

W 12 is a VW DESIGNED and built motor (turbo version in Bentley) as well as W16 found in Bugatti Veyron

It did take Lexus another 5 years to create something equal. The LS 430 simply couldn't compete.

Great Daniel did the opening in Spanish. Greetings from Argentina.

That's a pretty cool feature, variable wheelbase adjustment.

In addition to the leaking PCV hose, I would be looking at the MAF intake hose with the duct tape!

I've always had a soft spot for the Phaeton. If the Audi A8 didn't exist, it would've likely been a better seller. I think top models were a better car than the Audi. The build quality(interior) was impeccable. But the problem was that it looked like a bloated Passat, as does the current A8 looking like ballooned Jetta. And as with most VAG powertrains of this era, they're hideously expensive to maintain.

This Intro just made my day!! 🤣

Awesome intro Car Wizard

WIzard, I agree with your comments relating to 'breaky-breaky' plastics on 10+ year old German cars - plastics, and in particular connectors that convert to 'corn flakes' when touched. VW-Audi group is the worst closely followed by BMW and then Mercedes. Having to unplug electrical connectors in an ageing VW Golf generates a lot of anxiety - i.e. adds more work and cost to the reason why the car was in the workshop.

He said your "shlang" is hanging outside your pantalones!

This is my dream luxury car! I’m glad I saw one on your channel yes very ultra rare!!

Amazing cars! This was the peak of overengineering. I had a W12 Audi A8, it was not too bad to maintain moneywise. Engine is reaaaallllyyy bulletproof! However there’s small things, sensors etc. that reauire engine out for replacement.

Car wizard Please hire someone to cover all your videos but translated to Spanish that way you get to keep your informative content but branch into a whole new segment of youtube thats not english based kinda like MrBeast did with his spanish channel.