KEY POINTS:
Imagine an HSV without the leery spoilers and questionable image, and you might conjure up the car you see here - Volkswagen's Passat R36.
The R36, the flagship of the Passat range and the fastest production VW you can buy, will be on its way to New Zealand in the middle of next year at a price of about $90,000.
The R36 is only the second model in the VW range to wear the R-badge - the first was the Golf R32 - and can rocket from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds.
It will be available in both sedan and Variant wagon versions, with the latter expected to account for about 70 per cent of sales.
The basis for the R36 is a 3.6-litre FSI V6 engine developing 220kW/350Nm. It's mated to the super-quick direct shift gearbox (DSG) and it drives through a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. Suspension and brakes have been heavily uprated to cope with the extra performance.
The styling changes are typically subtle - side skirts and chrome highlights, with unique 18-inch wheels.
At the rear of the car, a deeper bumper houses a pair of chrome-tipped tailpipes and revised light lenses.
The estate version features a discreet spoiler on the trailing edge of the rear window.
Inside, the sports seats bear the R36 logo. The dashboard is finished with brushed aluminium panels with unique dials, and the car features a sports steering wheel and bespoke R-graphic polished pedals.
The R36 powertrain will also underpin the forthcoming flagship, when the "coupe" version of the Passat is released. Yet to be officially revealed by VW, the coupe will be a four-door four-seater with sweeping lines and a low roof - very much in the visual style of Mercedes-Benz's CLS.
Expect a $100,000 price tag and a late-2008 launch.
- Detours, HoS
