At $23,500 Canadian (About $16,131 U.S.), Would You Lap Up The Luxury Of This 2005 VW Phaeton W12?

The seller of today's Nice Price or No Dice Phaeton touts it as one of four W12-powered four-seater editions brought to North America. That makes it appreciably rare, but will its price make it appreciably desirable?

Whether it's a poppy super bloom in California's Central Valley, or the spectacular fireworks of fall foliage all across the Northeast's arboreal forests, Mother Nature sure likes to put on a good show. The thing is, to appreciate her handiwork, you often need to jump in the car and drive. And what better car is there to take in the sights than a convertible with the top down?

The 1991 Saab 900 Turbo that came our way yesterday would make for a fine classic convertible viewing platform for nature's knockouts. That is, as long as the Fall weather wasn't too warm, since its A/C was broken. That factor, along with concerns about parts sourcing and anything else going wrong on the quirky old car, cast doubt on its $11,500 price tag. In the end, that proved too rich for our collective blood, dropping the Saab in a 77% 'No Dice' loss.

You kind of have to hand it to Volkswagen for their honesty. The history page on VW's newsroom website minces no words about the company's origins, noting that it was founded as a "Nazi prestige project" in 1934. It further states that at the onset of WWII, the company shifted to building armaments using forced labor in its factory. Interestingly, the short origin story omits any mention of Ferdinand Porsche, who designed the "People's Car" for the Nazi party's Deutsche Arbeitsfront (Labor Front).

The 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton W12 we're looking at today also has a Porsche family connection: its market position and many of its design parameters were set by then Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, Ferdinand Porsche's grandson and namesake. The car was intended as a no-expenses-spared grand touring limousine to take on Mercedes-Benz and BMW range-toppers, moving Volkswagen upmarket in the process. This was part of Piëch's vision of shifting Volkswagen into higher market segments where it could find more advantageous margins and larger profits. The Phaeton, and the strategy as a whole, proved a failure, and VW retreated to its roots after Piëch's retirement. Still, it left us with some spectacularly interesting and decadent cars like this black-over-tan W12.

Volkswagen's engineers were tasked by Piëch with several criteria: make the Phaeton not just competitive with BMW's 7 Series and the Mercedes S-Class, but in many ways, outdo the dynamic duo. As such, this Phaeton has not just every bell and whistle one could find on a car in the middle of the Aughts, but a solid platform to support them, one that was good enough for VW subsidiary Bentley to leverage for its popular Continental GT and for Audi to underpin its A8.

Craigslist

A comprehensively equipped car might be too complicated and finicky—especially one that speaks German—but this Phaeton's 224,338 kilometers (around 140,000 freedom distances) proves that, with proper maintenance and a bit of good luck, it can stay reliably on the road.

Craigslist

According to the seller, this Phaeton's two-seat rear compartment makes it an especially rare beast, as only four W12-powered four-seater cars were shipped to North America during this model's run. Those back seats feature electric adjustments, including easy entry and memory, along with individual climate control. The entire cabin is awash in leather and real burlwood trim, and looks to be in excellent condition. The only odd note is the huge tablet-style screen the seller added, which must replace not only the stereo head unit but also all the climate controls. Hopefully it was plug-and-play, with no cutting or hammer blows required. The exterior is just as clean as the interior and still looks impressive.

Playing coy isn't always the best strategy in selling any used (oops, excuse me, in the case of cars like the Phaeton, I believe the term is "pre-owned") car or truck. That's why we might want to call into question the seller's statement that they are "not going to list all the work that I've done to the car over the years." They do follow that up immediately by assuring us that "you'll be happy to know that all the stuff that wears out – brakes, rotors, tires – as well as a full oil change service were all done in the last month. Nothing left to do! Get in and drive."

Driving the car should be pretty drama-free then. Volkswagen's 6.0-liter W12 engine—basically two VR6 mills stuck together—makes a solid 444 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, both respectable numbers. That's mated to a five-speed Tiptronic automatic and 4motion all-the-time all-wheel-drive. As fitted, the Phaeton gets around 13 miles per gallon on premium, so plan accordingly.

As noted at the outset, this Phaeton is Canadian, and while governmental relations between the U.S. and the polite people to the north are strained at present, that shouldn't stop us from continuing to get along just fine and doing business. The question is whether it's worth it for any Canadian or Phaeton fanatic in the U.S. to pay $23,500 for this exceedingly rare and arguably interesting piece of recent VW history. And before you get your collective bloomers in a bunch, understand that dollar amount is in Canadian Loonies, meaning it's around $16,131 U.S. at current exchange rates.

What do you think? Is this well-presented four-seater Phaeton worth that kind of cash, regardless of which side of the border you sit on? Or is Piëch's folly still a bad deal no matter how cheap?

You decide!

Vancouver, BC, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Bill Rice for the hookup!

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