Test Drive Volkswagen Phaeton Since 2010 Sedan

Business classroom

Virtual Duel: Maserati Quattroporte - Volkswagen Phaeton
The hunt for the buyer of the company is beginning long before the car gets into the showroom and journalistic tests. And even before the prototypes are completed to work professionals. An acute competition begins in the KB and design centers. Therefore, a comparison of design and stylistic solutions - the occupation is no less reasonable and, by the way, as interesting as the testing of live cars.
At our polygon, representatives of the highest league - a loud novelty from the Azhetrian Peninsula Kvattroport and his classmate Volkswagen Phaeton. By the way, for the price of cars are also close: Italian is in Europe about 100 thousand euros, as well as the modification of a folk car with a full drive and a 6-liter engine.
By clothes
Folkswagen designers clearly decided not to risk, having considered that the top class car should not be defiantly extravagant. In addition, Phaeton was created for buyers who grew up from the trade wind. Such can also scare exotic. Therefore the flagship inherited many characteristic features of younger models.

Maserati Kvattroport, too, made in corporate style. In Atelier, Pinin Farina sewed an elegant dress, in which the motifs of past famous models with a trident on the radiator grill are guessed: a long hood, rapid sports appearance, a characteristic, a little frowny headlights.
From the point of view of windy fashion, both cars at the height. However, it is interesting that sports with the appearance of Maserati just weaker Volkswagen: Aerodynamic coefficient the German resistance is 0.32, and the Italian is 0.35.
From the rear seat
Options for finishing the cabin, of course, not to read. Phaeton customers or quatroport can choose a skin color for the upholstery, doors, dashboard. Italians offer even different stitch drawings! Wood for the quattroport is prepared according to the technology of piece production of musical instruments. Not in vain four-door (so in the translation of Italian, the name of the model sounds) was born in the country of the Great Stradivari.
In the back seat of Maserati cozy, as in the home chair. In such a situation, the grandiose ideas sometimes come to mind. Would you like to record? In the front back - a comfortable table. Want to relax? Easy push button on the passenger console, and the front right chair will leave forward. Is the bodyguard or secretary? Messenger!
The designers seemed to be consumed - in Volkswagen, you can also pinch the front passenger. It is logical: in such machines, the main almost always rear. In our phateke, in addition, instead of a three-bed sofa, two individual chairs with 10 adjustments: the electric motors are moving the pillow, the tilt of the back will change the headrest. Such an arsenal of Maserati cannot boast.
Both cars, as befits elite representatives of the business class, are equipped with a climate system with four adjustment zones - each ride makes the weather for yourself. Perform yourself to small things? In Maserati, the temperature range is 6 with wider - from 18 to 32 C. Folkswagen Counter-Argument - Luke with fans feed from solar panels.
From the bell tower techinar
Under the hood of the chapel, the 12-cylinder W-shaped engine is essentially two V6 (the overall corner of the collapse 72). Unconventional block configuration is dictated by the layout - after all, it was necessary to fit under the not very long hood of 5 liters of work. At the same time, 420 horses weigh only 245 kg: the cylinder block and the head of the aluminum alloy with silicon additives.
Four camshafts with a chain drive, the valve gaps are followed by hydroopor. Receive additional Newton meters on low revs help phase adjustment mechanisms - hydraulic with electronic control. Volkswagen Phaeton boasts the most powerful in the world (230 kW / 310 l.) Serial passenger diesel. There is also a modification of a cheaper with a 3.2-liter gasoline engine V6.
Maserati designers are correct by corporate traditions: under the hood Kvattroport - the Motor V8, which does not greatly lose the German unit in power, but the torque is inferior to almost 100 N.M. Missing 1.75 liters of working volume affect. But the mass of the motor is almost 60 kg less.
Nevertheless, the Italian engine is largely similar to the opponent: the same materials of the head and block, four camshafts and four valves per cylinder, phase adjustment mechanisms, euro norms of Euro IV.
Phaeton with the W12 engine is released only by all-wheel drive with an inter-axis differential of high friction Torsen. If the rear wheels fell on ice, smart mechanics will transfer a part of the torque to the front axle (Details of SP, 2002, No. 8). In addition, if necessary, electronics slows down the right or left wheel.
The torque from the engine to the wheels transmits a six-speed (on some five-speed modifications) an automatic electronic control gearbox. The driver chooses the usual or sports mode; You can click on hand and manually by using the tiptronic system.
Macerati's creators and transmissions adhered to more traditional solutions, applying a transcexle scheme (Transaxle) - the gearbox is behind and scored with the main transmission. The main advantage of such a layout is close to the ideal weighing along the axes (47% - on the front, 53% - on the rear axles), and, consequently, good stability and handling and, which is especially important for cars of this class, is the smoothness of the course.
Cvattroport gearbox - six-speed mechanical, but with automatic switching and clutch control; The design is rare for representatives of the representative class. Interestingly, the diameter of the two-disc clutch is only 215 mm. Manual switching - Rather, tribute to fashion than convenience. Those who think otherwise by clicking on the central console, the M / A Shift key may have a vast to play with stealless burdocks.
Despite the different architecture, the pendants of the Quattroport and the Phaeton have both shafts. To reduce the unsavory masses, most elements made from aluminum. On both machines, the stiffness of the shock absorbers is the Skyhuk system (Skyook): the computer softens the suspension or makes it the most rigid. The raisin of the phaeton is a pneumatic resistant, thanks to which the car is pressed against the ground or rises on tiptoe.
Fast and massive cars - appropriate brakes: disk, ventilated, with multiple calipers and, of course, with auxiliary electronics. The Volkswagen engineers first tried on the flagship brake discs from two halves. The working part in contact with the pads is connected to the disk hub by floating brackets. The gap between the details reduces the risk of disk deformation from overheating with intensive braking.
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From the point of view of the tech, the Italian machine loses a little by German, literally polished novelties: from smart seats to unique engine design. But the business class places are not only from practical considerations. Maserati bribes with exquisite-thoroughbred appearance and elegant finish. For part of potential buyers, these advantages will be decisive ...
Machine developers clearly calculated that the owners of the sedans would ride not only in the back seat.
Motor duel: The most powerful Volkswagen W12 and V8, specially designed for Maserati Kvattroport.
Confrontation of designers: functional phaeton ...


... against elegant quattroport.


 
Maxim Sachkov
 

A source: Journal "Behind the wheel"