German Car Zone

I also think it's not a good move to make a Phaeton successor. The car hasn't been a success in general. If this 4-door coupe thing they've got planned is a go-er, then IMO it'd be best they concentrate on that - and hopefully it'll be more of a cheaper-than-CLS competitor, too, in terms of price bracket.

In a way, I'm surprised they're even making a facelift. I expect it to be subtle - only the plastic parts, to save costs.

I think the A8 and the Phaeton are equally good. They just have different qualities about them. That was why the question arose about whether the Phaeton would be a competitor to the Audi in the first place. One most certainly cannot rank these two cars above one another. That would just be biased.

Of course, the Phaeton never did materialise in the marketplace because of the name. And nothing else, as far as I know. Half of the production of the Flying Spur is built in Dresden, and the other half in their factory in the UK. It's built by the same people who build the Phaeton, and the same facilities that build the Phaeton, the FS utilises them. If we're talking about workmanship one could argue that they are comparable.

With more than double the price, the FS definitely sports a better interior! Can't say the same for the exterior...

Actually I agree. They should just dump the idea of a replacement.

All-new model arrives in 2009

Volkswagen is planning to introduce a slight facelift for the Phaeton next year and therefore give a much needed boost to sales until the new model will arrive in 2009. Main modifications will be the redesigned front grille – reminiscent of the Passat, Polo and Golf GTI – a modified front bumper and a more sculpted bonnet in compliance with enhanced pedestrian protection. Also new will be curved-light headlight system and a DVD navigation system replacing the outdated CD technology. When the all-new model arrives in 2009, it is believed to be more coupe-like than today’s Phaeton and is said to be repositioned half a class below the Audi A8 but still well ahead of the Passat.







Source: WCF

Noooo!!! Those front lights remind me of the last generation Passat:



Or even worse the Touran:



I also think that they shouldn't do a Phaeton successor.

Spy photos arn't final. Maybe we'll get something like this? (a photoshop )

Welcome to GCZ Paldi

Looking forward to future Phaeton/Bentley posts

I think VW should leave the Phaeton alone instead of putting chrome grills on the car

i too think the facelift is a step back

Welcome Paldi... You may remember me as Mirage11 on the Phaeton forum.

I'm not for the pictures of the facelift, the current one looks well-sorted and much more handsome.

Here's the thing guys - VW is able to repurpose assets within the VAG group to create the next Phaeton. It's not as though they're developing this car in a vacum. The next gen Phaeton is likely to share technology and materials with future vehicles from Audi and Bentley.

Even though it's been a flop, I still would love to see VW persevere with the car in their range. Just a shame it's been pulled from the US market. Talk about the ultimate anti-luxury car. People in LA see those things and do a double-take ("Why is that Passat so big?").

I would like to agree with you but i can't. What's seperating those two cars in the road is the main construction material, Aluminium against steel. As a consequence A8 is much lighter and it feels and handles like a smaller car. The difference in weight is one of the factors that make the A8 a class leader in dynamics.