Sports Car Forum - MotorWorld.net - Volkswagen to end Phaeton production

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AlienDB7

11-28-2005 02:11 AM

Volkswagen to end Phaeton production

Quote:

Ajax, Ontario – Volkswagen will end production of its top-line Phaeton after the 2006 model year due to poor sales. Only 27 have been sold in Canada so far this year, with a total of 142 since the car's introduction in 2003. The Phaeton has a base price of $99,210.

Source: http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/051128-8.htm

JoeHahn

11-28-2005 02:19 AM

I reckon Volkswagen did alright. They made a car that was as good if not better than the competition. People called if a failure because it didnt sell but that wasnt Volkswagens purpose for the car. The image of Volkswagen has changed and alot of it was due to this car, now bring on the W12 supercar :wink:

5vz-fe

11-28-2005 02:29 AM

^First for that kind of money, alot of ppl will choose the competition regardless of it's build quality/luxury. It's almost like Casio made a luxury watch with diamonds and gold and price it the same as Rolex. Do u think it is not call failure when the watch didn't sell?

I don't think Touareg is doing too well either.

JoeHahn

11-28-2005 02:56 AM

Quote:

People called if a failure because it didnt sell but that wasnt Volkswagens purpose for the car.

You are obviously one of the people who are oblivious to Volkswagens marketing. Volkswagen knew this car wouldnt sell, pretty much the sole purpose of this car was to raise the image of the brand. Look at the quality of the Volkswagen range. BMW and Mercedes cant compare to the build quality of a Volkswagen and people are starting to get that into their heads - this car was one of the reasons people woke up to that fact.

Fleischmann

11-28-2005 03:19 AM

Why are they ending it ?? They expected to have debts after the first 2-3 Phaeton generations and start making profits in a few years time, that was their puropse.

There are quite a lot of them in Warsaw, maybe not as much as equivalent BMW, Audi's and Mercs, but it did good enough at least on our market.

5vz-fe

11-28-2005 03:21 AM

?? Do u know what u are talking about? Have u ever sat in a BMW before? I don't know about Mercedes, but BMW's build quality is definitely on par / most likely better than that of VW.

I really don't think VW build the Phaeton just for marketing purpose.....imagine the cost tooling / design.....sorry.

AlienDB7

11-28-2005 04:27 AM

The interior quality (use of material) for the new Golf/Jetta is very disappointing. Did the manufacturers all switch to recycled plastic or something? I've been better quality interior in say a Mazda.

JoeHahn

11-28-2005 04:56 AM

The new Volkswagen models have fallen a bit short of their previous models because of their development gains in their suspension. That's not to say that the older Passat was easily on par with the C class/E46 3 series.

ae86_16v

11-28-2005 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dani_d_mas

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeHahn

Volkswagen knew this car wouldnt sell, pretty much the sole purpose of this car was to raise the image of the brand.

Exactly. And the image of VW has actually being improved. My uncle has a full-equipe Touareg... and the interior quality is on par with better brands to be honest.

I don't think a company would spend millions of millions of dollar on R&D just to prove an exercise that they could build nice cars.

Too bad, the Phaeton was a nice car, it just wasn't marketed correctly.

5vz-fe is right, consumers don't want to spend $2,000 on a Timex watch no matter the build quality and features it has.

Schwalbe

11-28-2005 02:59 PM

It's sad that VW will end production of the Phaeton, because I liked a lot this car...especially the Phaeton W12 version.

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/449/688iu.th.jpg http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3483/630jv.th.jpg

5vz-fe

11-28-2005 03:09 PM

Simple solution to problem, rebadge it and sell them in Audi Dealers LOL

Toronto

11-28-2005 03:15 PM

^^^ that is an A8?

Sir_GT

11-28-2005 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toronto

^^^ that is an A8?

Apparently the Phaeton was somewhat superior to the A8 (the A8 is suppossed to have its own unique platform) which is why it didn't make sense to anyone, even Audi.

The Phaeton is the perfect example of a product trying be more than the brand. It never works.

5vz-fe

11-28-2005 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toronto

^^^ that is an A8?

A8 SVW Edition (A8 Special Volkswagon Edition) :lol:

5vz-fe

11-28-2005 05:41 PM

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/ne...a-mistake/186/

Styling Mistake

gangajas

11-28-2005 06:35 PM

It is a great car, its only problem is that it is a VW

nthfinity

11-28-2005 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by everso

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5vz-fe

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/volkswagen-ceo-pischetsrieder-says-phaeton-styling-was-a-mistake/186/

Styling Mistake

he's just lucky Piech isn't around, or his head would be taken off for saying it ;)

LMAO
im reminded of a little piece of comedy.. mabey some python, i dono

Nazi SS: Vill you now sign Zee documents?
some poor fool [wimpering]: no, i will not sign the documents...
Nazi SS: Vai vill you not sign zee documents?
some poor fool [wimpering] : you have broken my hand...
Nazi SS: And Vee vill break your arm if you do not sign zee documents!
some poor fool [wimpering] :I will sign the documents...

it goes on for a while... but basically... insert Pische for the SS guy :wink:

Toronto

11-28-2005 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by everso

the purpose of the Phaeton was to serve as a display for technology and engineering. It was a car which overstretched its market on purpose.

there was no logic in the Phaeton, but that was ON purpose. The car was the idea of Ferdinand Piech.....and his stubbornness was the only reason this car was even produced in the first place. Now that Piech has retired, the Phaeton will retire as well.

the A8 and the Phaeton do share many components, and the two cars are similiar in many ways. I have a friend who has driven the Phaeton extensively and he said it was an amazing car...one of the best sedans ever made. It was effortless elegance. This was a VW project, as Piech was heading VW......hence this car was never meant to be an Audi.

Piech had an amazing career in the auto industry.......starting at Porsche and moving onwards. The car was essentially a tribute to him.......even though he was a grumpy bitter old man before he retired (as i've been told....hehe)

exactly it was a dying man wishes (not literary) and now that he moved on they will forget him and leave his car in the dust

HeilSvenska

11-28-2005 08:46 PM

Oh well, it was a pretty car. The Bugatti Veyron was pretty much Piech's car too, but look what it is now.

Sir_GT

11-28-2005 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by everso

I agree that it was a brilliant car.

It just wasn't a brilliant idea.

AlienDB7

11-28-2005 11:53 PM

Quote:

Volkswagen Phaeton production to continue for European sales

Ajax, Ontario – A news item on Canadian Driver yesterday regarding termination of the Volkswagen Phaeton was incorrectly worded. Sales of the company's top luxury model will be discontinued in North America due to low demand, but the vehicle will continue to be sold in Europe and a new model is being planned in future.

Sometimes news articles can be misleading.....

ae86_16v

11-29-2005 03:27 AM

^ Haha. . . yeah, in all the time around Bay Area, I think I have only seen 2 of them. Great looking car though.

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