volkswagen phaeton

Limousines and Supercars Debut at Beijing Motor Show

The gulf between perception and reality is often enough to swallow entire countries whole. Take China, for example. The images many still conjure up in their heads when thinking about the Asian giant might come down to squalid shanty towns oppressed by communist overlords. But with the free market taking a greater hold with each passing day, the People's Republic is quickly emerging as a vital market for purveyors of luxury goods, including high-end automobiles. Sure, the average peasant may be able to afford little more than a rickety bicycle, but with the world's largest population numbering over a billion people, even the top fraction of the socio-economic strata can overshadow entire nations.

Against such a backdrop, it should come as no great surprise that the world's premium automakers scrambled to the Chinese capital this year with a wide array of exotic and luxury automobiles. In fact the cars making their world debuts at this year's Beijing Motor Show were enough on their own to outshine the last major international exposition in Manhattan. Follow the jump to see what all the fuss was about.

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Volkswagen Releases New 2011 Phaeton

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Looking for a top-of-the-line luxury sedan? There's no shortage of options on the market these days. And a good portion of them come from the ever-expanding Volkswagen Group: the Audi A8 and Bentley Continental Flying Spur are solid choices, and there's more if you look even further up-market to the Bentley Mulsanne, the Porsche Panamera and the upcoming Bugatti Galibier. But if badge prestige isn't what you're looking for, the Volkswagen Phaeton could be your best choice.

Volkswagen has just unveiled the third rendition of its flagship sedan in Beijing – where sister-brand Audi released the new A8 L – and it comes packed with tech and choices for the discerning customer. It comes in long wheelbase or short, with four (adjustable) seats or five and with four engine options, ranging from a diesel V6 to a gasoline V12. Plus it packs all the latest technology you could expect from a major automaker, including Google Maps-enabled sat-nav, variable headlights, road sign recognition and a four-zone climate control system, all interconnected by two miles of wiring.

Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Phaeton

Tags: beijing, beijing motor show, phaeton, volkswagen, volkswagen phaeton

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Volkswagen Phaeton Exclusive

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're in the market for a top-of-the-line luxury sedan, chances are you'll be looking at the likes of Lexus, BMW, Audi and Mercedes. Maybe Jaguar or Maserati, if you're looking for something with a little more flair. But Volkswagen? That's the problem the German auto giant encountered with the Phaeton, a luxurious limousine positioned against its own sister company's Audi A8, but with a less prestigious badge and a more attractive price to compensate.

The Phaeton was, and remains, a flawless piece of engineering – sharing its platform with the Bentley Continental, for crying out loud – but the "people's car" badge didn't do it any favors, and the car was eventually pulled out of the American market. It's still sold overseas, and is due for a complete overhaul by 2011, but for those faithful customers overseas, VW unveiled the new customizable Phaeton Exclusive edition at the Frankfurt auto show, displayed with one of the deepest, blackest paint jobs we've ever seen. Just don't mistake it for an Audi.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Volkswagen Phaeton Exclusive