Moderator:
Welcome to Viewpoint with our guest, Leon Ostrander, a designer with Volkswagen who worked extensively on the Phaeton. Let's begin.
Leon, the optional engine on the Phaeton is a W12. What is the W12?
Leon Ostrander: Traditionally we have inline engines, where all the cylinders are in a row; traditionally it has been a 6 cylinder engine, which is a long engine.
The other types of engines we have had are V engines, such as V6, V8, and V12. In a V engine you have 3, 4, or 6 cylinders on each side. In 1992 Volkswagen introduced a VR6. A VR6 engine has a very narrow V (a 15 degree V). It's like an inline engine except the cylinders are staggered. The advantage of that is it is very compact, so you can fit more engine in a smaller space.
Essentially, the W12 is 2 of our VR6 engines combined. So we have a V engine with 2 banks of cylinders which are 72 degrees apart, and each of those has 2 rows of staggered cylinders that are 15 degrees apart.
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Fairfax, Va.:
How does the style of the Phaeton differ from the Passat?
Leon Ostrander: The Phaeton is obviously larger, perhaps more aggressive. It also has a tremendous amount of room inside, especially in the backseat. I'm 5'7" tall, and there is plenty of room for me to sit in the backseat.
The Phaeton has the new styling trends of Volkswagen. And, in a way, it's more of a muscular looking style.
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New York, N.Y.:
What other luxury car would you compare the Phaeton to from a design standpoint?
Leon Ostrander: The 3 cars we used for our competitive comparision were Mercedes S Class, the BMW 745LI and the Lexus LS430.
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Alexandria, Va.:
Which features of the Phaeton would be most appealing to the gadget conscious buyer?
Leon Ostrander: Two things. The first would be the infotainment center and the second would be the 18-way power seat in the driver's seat. The infotainment center allows the driver to make audio adjustments, such as digital sound processing. For example you can make the sound sound as if it were coming from a concert hall, a small jazz club, or from a talk radio show. The 18-way power seats are heated and cooled. They also have a massage function. You can press a button and get a 10-minute massage. It also has lumbar support. The seat adjusts for upper and lower back, and the headrest. The length of the seat even adjusts. It's really comfortable!
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New York, N.Y.:
Why do you think the Phaeton can compete with the Mercedes S class and the Lexus?
Leon Ostrander: We had a team of professional drivers in our competitive comparison, and they all thought it was because of the quality of the materials and the fit and the finish.
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Framingham, Mass.:
How long has VW been designing this car prior to its introduction?
Leon Ostrander: I went to technical training in Wolfsburg in May 2002. I believe they were working on it for 3 years prior to then.
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Abington, Pa.:
Will the Phaeton have a standard package, such as deluxe interior, that might be considered "upgrades" to other manufacturers? Will it have the trademark VW attention to detail?
Leon Ostrander: Yes it will. I think the standard interior you'll find is nicer than what you will find in other cars in that class. For example, the BMW 745 series is a fantastic car; it's a wonderful driving car, but our professional drivers were disappointed in the quality of the leather interior. The Phaeton won't disappoint anyone.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Leon, I think Volkswagen models are known for superior passive safety systems. What systems are on the Phaeton?
Leon Ostrander: We have been famous for safety items and the Phaeton is no exception. There are eight airbags - one for the driver, passenger, 4 side airbags for the front and rear seats and then there are 2 curtain airbags which come down the side, protecting passengers in the case of a rollover accident.
We also have pretensioners for the safety belts, and these pull the safety belt tightly to secure the passenger.
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Miami, Fla.:
The Glass Factory is amazing. What was the thinking behind doing something so incredible and different, and is it soley for
production of the Phaeton?
Leon Ostrander: Yes, since it was a different and new car they wanted to have a new factory.
One of the reasons for such an ornate building is you can actually pick your car up at the Glass Factory. You can also go there and meet with an individual to select the components of the car and watch it being built.
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Arlington, Va.:
I read an article which raved about the climate control system. Can you tell me more about it?
Leon Ostrander: The climate control system comes with a standard 4 zone Climatronic system. That allows for 4 different temperaure or comfort zones in the vehicle. What's unique is that it has an air quality sensor. It can detect pollutants in the outside air. If it detects smog or foul air, it closes the outside circulation and recirculates the air inside the car until you are past the pollutants. It also has a residual heat function for those that live in cold, northern climates. What this does is, if you turn the car off to run an errand or for a short period of time, it pumps warm engine coolant into the heater core keeping the interior of the car at the previously set temperature.
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Cleveland, Ohio:
Has VW patented the W12 technology, or will we see other automakers coming out with the same? What other patents does the Phaeton have?
Leon Ostrander: The W12 we will be seeing on the Audi A8 and the new Bentley Continental, which are owned by Volkswagen.
I'm not sure about the patents. I know there are a lot of trademarks on the Phaeton. Some of the trademarks on the Phaeton include the 4-zone Climatronic. There are probably hundreds of other patents, but I wouldn't be able to tell you about the exact ones. I'm sure the Servopronic is one.
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Washington, D.C.:
Does it come with Bluetooth? If not, will you guys be seriously considering it?
Leon Ostrander: The Phaeton does not currently come with Bluetooth technologies, but it is coming in the near future.
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Washington, D.C.:
We're looking for a new vehicle, and I love the style of the Phaeton. The first thing my wife will ask is, "How'd it do in the crash tests?"
Leon Ostrander: The car did well in European crash tests. It probably will not be tested in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a limited budget and they usually test only high volume models.
The Phaeton has a very sturdy passenger cage. With the air bags and safety belt system in the vehicle, plus the electronic stability program, which helps the driver maintain control at all times . . . really add to the car's safety.
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Annapolis, Md.:
Leon, will the Phaeton be available with an all wheel drive package similar to that of the Passat? (Also, where does the name "Phaeton" come from?)
Leon Ostrander: Yes, the Volkswagen 4-wheel drive is standard on the Phaeton. The name "Phaeton" was originally derived from Greek mythology. Phaeton the Incandescent was the son of the Sun God, Helios.
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South Riding, Va.:
What are your favorite features of the Phaeton?
Leon Ostrander: I love the W12 engine and I like the 18-way power seats. They really are very comfortable.
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Miami, Fla.:
Do you see the Phaeton competing with the Audi A6/A8?
Leon Ostrander: The Phaeton is in the same premium luxury class as the Audi A8, but if you drive both cars back to back, they are very different.
The A8 is more of a sporty car compared to the Phaeton, while the Phaeton is a little more luxurious.
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San Francisco, Calif.:
I own a Mercedes E-Class, and heard a lot about the newer Mercedes' service problems. Now am looking at Lexus and BMW. Why would I consider buying VW at this price point?
Leon Ostrander: Take a look at the Phaeton and see if it meets your needs. I think if you look at the materials used in the Phaeton, you will see that it belongs in the same class as those other vehicles. The Phaeton is an excellent value with more power, more room, and more standard features than the other vehicles.
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Hanover, Pa.:
The daytime running lights. Why are they so bright?
Leon Ostrander: The daytime running lights use Xenon bulbs which are much brighter than the more traditional halogen bulb. Also, the rear tail lights use LEDs, specifically 256 in each rear tail light, providing for a much brighter light.
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New York, N.Y.:
How long did it take you and your team to design the Phaeton? What was your biggest challenge?
Leon Ostrander: The design started around 1999. The biggest challenge would have been the heating and cooling system.
The CEO of Volkswagen at the time, Dr. Piech, was the mastermind behind the Phaeton, and he was asthmatic. He particually disliked the cool air from the air conditioner blowing on him. So, he wanted indirect or radiant heat built into the vehicle.
When you drive a Phaeton on a very hot day, wooden panels open up allowing air to come through traditional air conditioning vents. But, when the car reaches the desired temperature, the panels close and the air radiates through hidden vents on top of the dash and in the B pillars, which provides indirect ventilation.
Also, the W engine was challenging. It is a much smaller engine than the traditional V12. It is much shorter (just over 20 inches long). Because the V12 is much shorter, the hood of the car doesn't have to extend as far or interfere so much with the passenger compartment.
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Boston, Mass.:
Hi Leon, I've heard from a friend who drove the Phaeton that the ride is unbelievable. What makes it so "smooth"? Is there a special technology behind it, or is it just the "German engineering"?
Leon Ostrander: Oh no, there's special technology behind it! The Phaeton uses what we call in Germany the "skyhook design." The whole idea is to make the car feel like it's being suspended from a skyhook as it moves down the road. To do this, they use airsprings which maintain the ride hike and a unique continuously dampening shock absorbing system. This is really the heart of the Phaeton suspension. The shock absorbing system uses wheel acceleration sensors, body acceleration sensors and vehicle height sensors. The Phaeton can tell when the vehicle hits an irregularity in the road and within milliseconds, it can adjust the suspension to absorb bumps, potholes, etc. in the road.
It's really interesting. We have four different shock settings that the driver can adjust manually. There is a comfort position, normal position and two sport modes, and you can be driving down an expressway with a lot of joints, and if you're feelings those joints you can move the suspension over to the "comfort position" and the bumps magically disappear. Of course, the Phaeton automatically adjusts for the best suspension for the road conditions.
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Rochester, N.Y.:
My local dealer doesn't seem to have any Phaetons on the lot. How widely distributed will it be? How many are available?
Leon Ostrander: Not all dealers are Phaeton dealers at the present time. We rolled the car out to 236 dealers last fall and will be rolling out to 135 dealers this spring and the rest should be on board by this fall.
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McLean, Va.:
How does the Phaeton's suspension and handling compare to other luxury automobiles?
Leon Ostrander: I think it compares very favorably. For the competitive evaluations that I've been in, the Phaeton is a heavy car, but it doesn't drive like a heavy car.
The BMW is known for making extremely fine automobiles and the Phaeton handles at a comparable level. I think it is a better handling car than the Mercedes S430 and far superior to the Lexus LS430 which is tuned to provide a very soft ride.
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Leon Ostrander: I'd like to thank everyone for their interest in the Phaeton and for the excellent questions.
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Moderator:
This wraps up today's Viewpoint. Many thanks to our guest, Leon Ostrander, for a lively discussion about the innovative and interesting Volkswagen Phaeton. Thank you also to all who participated.
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