# Tell me about your W8



## Lima (Oct 27, 2002)

The W8 Passat arrives in Australia around March I think. So, tell me what is your new ride like and does your ol girl hammer with those 8 cyclinders pounding away?


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## zackiedawg (Jul 21, 2000)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

Fish around the B5 forum, and on http://www.clubb5.com for more about the W8s...many of the owners of them tend to float around those forums much more often.
I love the engine. The car has excellent torque, and a wonderful jump off the line. The power is effortless. And the sound is somewhere between a Mercedes V8 and a Ford 302...it has a smooth techno hum at cruising speed which is very quiet and feels luxurious, but scald it off the line or step out to pass, and it has an old-fashined American V8 growl to it that sounds great. The exhaust is beautifully tuned right from the factory.
The best part of the engine to me is the cruising...on the highways at speeds from 50 to well over triple digits, the engine feels like it is barely running. At 55MPH, the engine is turning 1800RPM or less...and all the way to 85MPH, the RPMs are still barely above 2000. With the redline at 6500, there is a ton of room for passing power, and accelerative speeds. As I stated elsewhere, I would be fairly confident in the engines ability to propel the car to speeds in the 160MPH range with proper tires and downforce, of course. Ours here in the states are electronically limited to 130MPH...maybe you'll be luckier!
I would kill to have the W8 in Australia, with those wonderful, wide-open and flat roads...the Outback would be fun...high speeds and nobody else on the road...but mind the roos at 130MPH! You could take a nice drive from Canberra...take 25N to 31W...hook up with the 20W, and cruise all the way to Adelaide the north route...or just haul out to the east coast and druise the entire coastline! It must be great having so much wide open road available to you and so few people on them!


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## Lima (Oct 27, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (zackiedawg)*

Wow, the W8 sounds damn good.
Yep, the roads here are relatively empty when compared to, well, anywhere else in the world. Its just that its so damn far to get anywhere. The Canberra to Adelaide drive you mention does have lots of flat open road, but, well that's fun for an hour or two, what about the other eight or so it takes to get there!
Speed limit on some sections of the Cbr-Adl route is 120kmh (75mph) but in my experience the cops do have a somewhat 'understanding' attitude. I was driving along the Hay Plains one day at about 150kmh (94mph) and was busted by a cop driving in the opposite direction. He did a U turn and I pulled to the side of the road awaiting my punishment... he just pulled up along side me, wound down his window and said 'Better slow down son, and be careful!'. Then he drove off. I thought I was gone big time and was trying to calculate the fine. I was lucky that time, but there's this one time...








Don't think the W8 will be speed limited in Australia, I've even done 220kmh (137mph) in my Golf, but we won't mention that any more! Although many German cars do have a habit of limiting to 250kmh (155mph) so if its that quick then they may limit to 250. Only the Northern Territory has roads without speed limits, but as I said everything is so far away and petrol is so expensive up there you either have to speed to get anywhere or drive slowly to be able to afford the fuel bill! For example for me to drive from Canberra to NT would be two days drive, maybe more... but there's nothing to see along the way. I've been to NT a few times, not while I've had a license though, and even though I've loved every journey there its a bit too far to go for a serious fang down the highway!
Keep on enjoying your W8. I'd love a W8 Variant, but I reckon only W8 sedans will make it down under... then there's the purchase price.








Cheers
Liam
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## zackiedawg (Jul 21, 2000)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

Having lived in Western US for a while, I guess I am used to long drives through deserted regions...that is much like eastern California, Arizona, Utah, etc. I typically took weekend drives out there for 8 hours each way...just for an excursion between work weeks. Of course my poor Mitsu Montero I had at the time was clocking 45,000 miles per year!
I would love to drive up in the NT, but the only thing I fear out in Australia are those "road trains"...I have seen those huge diesel rigs with the bull bars up front towing 3 or 4 trailers behind them barrelling along at 80 or 90MPH, practically on autopilot! I wonder if some of the drivers aren't in a daze, half asleep, and wouldn't know they hit something until they pull it out of their grill at the next gas stop! (We have similar tired truckers who have to commute the arduous routes across country through the US deserts, but they limit our trucks to no more than 2 small trailers). I have had some semi trucks crawl up the back of my car so close I could look in my rear view mirror and see what types of bugs were stuck in their grills, and I was doing 80 + MPH!
Either way, you will probably have some more open roads to enjoy whatever car you have, and seemingly more understanding cops than we have here in the states...so have fun down there...and if you get a chance to drive a W8, let me know if they have a speed limiter!!


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## Lima (Oct 27, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (zackiedawg)*

Yep, those road trains are pretty awesome, and yes the 'story' goes that many of the truckies are living in la la land while driving just to meet their itineraries.


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## wolfsburg2 (Jun 6, 2001)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

i want to take a ride in a w8. anyone willing?


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## Lima (Oct 27, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (wolfsburg2)*

Looks like you may have to W8!


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## zackiedawg (Jul 21, 2000)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

Just borrow dad's Rolex, and wear an ironed shirt to the dealership...park around the back so they can't see what you drove up in, and walk into the dealership as if you are going to buy one. You'll get a drive!


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## kimosullivan (Aug 12, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (zackiedawg)*

Just get to know the guys at your local dealership. When ever you look for parts get a quote from the dealership. BS with the sales guys. The guys at my dealership recognize me instantly. They seem to enjoy talking to a future customer who's interested in more than the vanity mirror. I took a test ride in the first W8 they had on the lot. The odometer was at 23 miles. A very slick car. Quiet, powerful, cumfy. If I had deep pockets, I'd go for a W8 wagon, and hot rod it. Total sleeper.


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## 20-Valves (Jun 26, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (zackiedawg)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Just borrow dad's Rolex, and wear an ironed shirt to the dealership...park around the back so they can't see what you drove up in, and walk into the dealership as if you are going to buy one. You'll get a drive!





















[HR][/HR]​LOL! Worked for me on a CL Type S test drive. Check out how old I am


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## chris519117 (Oct 8, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

My dad just bought a w8 last month and he loves it except it makes a whining noise at low speeds. He is trying to get it fixed now but the dealership cant pinpoint the problem.


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## Lima (Oct 27, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (chris519117)*

quote:[HR][/HR]My dad just bought a w8 last month and he loves it except it makes a whining noise at low speeds...[HR][/HR]​Isn't that just your kid brother going "Daaaaad, can we go faaaasster now!"


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## Me109 (Mar 28, 2000)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

I made the mistake of driving one, and not being able to afford one. The dealer called and asked if I would be interested in trading my old ratty 2.0 Jetta III for a new VW, and I told them I was only interested in the W8.








I arrived at the dealer and there was the sales consultant, standing out beside the W8, with it running and ready to go!
There was the car, at night with the blueish gauges so inviting. I drove it, and now I'm sick, because I fell in love with it and I could not afford this car in a million years. The torque... mmmm... 
Life sucks.







I should have been a business major.


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## The Swami (Oct 16, 2001)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (act:GTI)*

I love it! The car has loads of power but there's one thing I didn't like about the car. The stock U.S. W8 has 16in wheels, while the European version has a gorgeous 17in wheel called the Pheonix. The Sport Edition has a 17in wheel called the Madras made by BBS which in my opinion is ugly but some folks like it. Since VW changed their initial B2B warranty, oil changes for the W8 can get expensive due to the recommended use of synthetic motor-oil. Since the W8 takes 5W-40 Synthetic, be sure to find a good vendor of this weight of oil and stock up on it.
Other than that I'm enjoying the car!


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## VWBLUBAYOU (Mar 31, 2002)

*Re: Tell me about your W8 (zackiedawg)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Fish around the B5 forum, and on http://www.clubb5.com for more about the W8s...many of the owners of them tend to float around those forums much more often.
I love the engine. The car has excellent torque, and a wonderful jump off the line. The power is effortless. And the sound is somewhere between a Mercedes V8 and a Ford 302...it has a smooth techno hum at cruising speed which is very quiet and feels luxurious, but scald it off the line or step out to pass, and it has an old-fashined American V8 growl to it that sounds great. The exhaust is beautifully tuned right from the factory.
The best part of the engine to me is the cruising...on the highways at speeds from 50 to well over triple digits, the engine feels like it is barely running. At 55MPH, the engine is turning 1800RPM or less...and all the way to 85MPH, the RPMs are still barely above 2000. With the redline at 6500, there is a ton of room for passing power, and accelerative speeds. As I stated elsewhere, I would be fairly confident in the engines ability to propel the car to speeds in the 160MPH range with proper tires and downforce, of course. Ours here in the states are electronically limited to 130MPH...maybe you'll be luckier!
I would kill to have the W8 in Australia, with those wonderful, wide-open and flat roads...the Outback would be fun...high speeds and nobody else on the road...but mind the roos at 130MPH! You could take a nice drive from Canberra...take 25N to 31W...hook up with the 20W, and cruise all the way to Adelaide the north route...or just haul out to the east coast and druise the entire coastline! It must be great having so much wide open road available to you and so few people on them![HR][/HR]​
Don't forget to add the slight warble of an Audi 5 cylinder with the tenor (in the higher revs) of a VR6. Engine is no slouch........


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