Volkswagen Passat R36 (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara

First Official Pictures

17 November 2006 10:13

VW Passat R36: the lowdown

Volkswagen has pulled the wraps off its 'R' flagship Passat – and the five-door is the fastest estate VW has ever made. Scooped by CAR Online a few weeks back, the R36 puts out 296bhp, which launches the estate fromk standstill to 62 in 5.8sec. Available as a saloon, too, the R cars go on sale in early 2007, with prices starting at an estimated £28,000. Sounds steep? It'll be a great second hand buy, though... For more details, click 'next'.

As the badge suggests, the R36 runs a new 3.6-litre V6 engine, with FSI direct injection. Peak power is 300PS, or 296bhp, which is sent to all four wheels. Transmission is via the six-speed DSG gearbox, which has twin clutches to pre-engage the next gear for ultra-rapid shifts. There won't be a manual 'box. Naturally, the saloon is faster than the bluff estate, despatching 0-62mph in 5.6sec. Top speed is restricted to 155mph. Other tweaks include stiffer spring and damper settings, and uprated brake discs to take the aaarrrgggghhh out of the R.

By Phil McNamara