This is my daily driver. Manual w8 over 230,000 miles and kicking strong.

Gotta love those few times in history when the otherwise conservative VW Group just went batshit crazy. Develop a W8 engine for an insane amount of money and decide to shove it in just a single vehicle which is THE PASSAT? Develop a freaking 12 cylinder Biturbo Diesel for just the Q7?? Really? Back when the OEMs were allowed to have fun.

VW went absolutely nuts in the 2000s, not just with Bugatti but W12s V10 TDIs V12 TDIs W8 VR6, just so many one off engines. It’s sad to know we will never experience these cars new with motors like these.

I heard from a Jason Camissa video that VW actually wanted to use the Maserati Quattroporte platform to make a car between the Passat and Phaeton, but they changed their minds. The Passat W8 was probably what followed. The W8 was probably designed for that rear wheel drive model before VW pulled the plug on that project and fit it in the Passat instead.

They had a lot of cool cars back then the V10 diesel Touareg, VW Phaeton and this which could be had in wagon form as well.

You guys should make that guy one of your guys that test cars. He’s obviously really into cars and he seems like a cool dude.

I loved my 2001.5 Passat GLS V6 5-spd manual. A very fine car in handling, performance and comfort. I put 200k miles on it before letting it go. Having the W8 with 4motion would be unstoppable!

Tommy was so marveled by this W8 Passat that I think his giddiness would be off the chart if he gets his hands on the W12 Volkswagon Phaeton. I'd love to see that and I think Brendan (sp?) would be just the guy to bring one to the channel.

That car is SICK! My parents had a v6 manual Passat growing up and that car was a tank so when the W8 came out I aspired to it. Years later and I forgot the W8 existed until I came across this video. I love that y’all at TFL do these videos! Keep it up!

This is TFL at its Very Best, 2 Petrol Heads as the Britts say enjoying an unusual Automobile that I had no ideal ever existed. The first time Tommy opened her up KZfaq threw an ad at me, my wife got out of bed and asked if I was ok, I yelled Nooooooooooooooo. Great great great show loved every second of it!!!

Had an 03 wagon and loved it. Drove and rode so much nicer than most brand new cars. Looked great too and was actually pretty reliable. Sold it with 218k miles.

Awesome cars - still remember my B5.5 manual wagon which served our family well for 11 years. Am I the only one more impressed with the white Peugeot 404 wagon in the background?!

Super cool car! Back when VW was doing crazy things, and we loved them for it…

The 1.9 TDI B5 Passat (4 cylinder, Diesel, sold in Europe) is incredibly reliable, almost like a Toyota.

Love this guy! He keeps buying cars to be in the show! Big respect!

The Highschool kid in me is so glad to see this video! I remember these and wanted one so badly it’s just so weird! This guy has inspired me to just buy weird cars!

A few years ago I was at a junk yard and I saw one of these. It wasn't in the salvage yard but rather the parking lot. I inquired about it as the junkyard has cars for sale but I was informed this particular car was already sold. So I didn't get a chance to geek out checking it out. But the big ole W8 badge in the grill did exactly what it was designed to do from 15 feet away. Yielding to turn left onto the lot I glanced left and saw the shinny chrome badge front row behind the wrought iron fence.

Sweet beard brother! I have owned 3 VW Jettas. None have left me stranded. Love my latest 2020 Jetta!

The B5 and B5.5 were good and reliable cars. My first car in US was a 2000 V6 manual FWD with 100k miles in 2004 and that thing drove like new and engine was super smooth. Loved the car....unfortunatelly, i crashed it couple times and that was it :(

On the contrary, you should absolutely bring it to a twisty back road and you will be amazed how well it drives.

It's crazy to think i found one of these at my local car yard. This one was the 4 motion w8 wagon with the 6 speed. I ended up buying the shift knob from the car as a souvenir. I never thought the rarest car I'd ever see would be from there!

I have a B6 Audi S4, it's not a w8, but it's still insane how tight of a fit the V8 is.

Wife had one of these back in 2005.Had it in to the VW dealership for 30k service. Rookie technician dropped something in one of the spark plug holes while servicing and thought just " revving it up" would make it go away.Horrible noise,damaged one side of cylinder head.After the dealership kept it for 2 months thereafter trying to fix it,they countered by offering us near MSRP to just walk away from it.Wife and I took that deal and bought a new Lexus ES300...from a different dealership. 18 years later, our son is driving it Sucked to lose such a unique car due to dealerships negligance, but I'm sure we avoided bigtime expenses in maintaining that W8.

The W8 and the VR5 were pretty unique. Owned the VR5 and it was a really smooth engine.

I loved my VR6 Manual Transmission Passat Wagon. It was fully loaded. Great cruiser. Easy to load bikes on the roof. Unfortunately I spent too much time getting it fixed. I miss how fun it was to drive.

I worked for VW when this car and Phaeton came out. We were all scratching our heads a bit. Yeah Piech was a madman for sure. Did enjoy the ride and drive they gave us on this car and the Phaeton.

TFL classics...might be my favorite channel. And everything Brendan brings is just great 👍🏼

I live in canada and had one of those in the wagon version. The thing was a beast. I loved it, wish i kept it just for fun and collection.

I have a 2003 Turbo S Beetle with only 9600 miles on it. I love early 2000 vw’s!

Thank you, THANK YOU for the Passat W8 videos buddy! Especially the info on the muffler delete!!! I’ll make a Y pipe so I can have the best of both worlds.

Loved my manual 1.8t 2003 Passat wagon.... sold it at 202k miles. I carried a spare coil in the glove box which was the only issue I had with the car.... super easy to work on

My mother-in-law had a W8 exactly like that one that she only drove around the city with. However, I'd run it up from DC to Waterfest at Englishtown Raceway every summer. It would cruise up & down 95 at 100+ effortlessly and felt insanely grounded to the road. She sold it a week before the warranty expired as it rarely went more than a few months without the check engine light coming on.

I remember the w8 but I didn't remember they did a manual version, that's freaking awesome.....

I had a W8 for a few months (it had just over 100k miles). Had cam issues and dealership wanted $8,000 to fix. Loved it for the few months I had it.

I had an 02 Passat from this era that I bought new in Honolulu. The dealer had a W8 in the showroom at the time, which I lusted over, but I didn’t have the wallet for that at the time. I LOVED that Passat. Shipped it from Hawaii to Oakland, CA a year later and drove it cross country to Connecticut with my father-in-law. It was the most pleasurable driving experience. These cars really were a joy to drive and so smooth and comfortable. I’ve gone through 8 VWs since then and I’m still chasing that feeling of my blue 02 Passat.

My Dad bout a 2002 VW Passat V6. It was a NICE cruiser. 5 hour road trips were a breeze. I liked the cool feature where you could control the windows and sunroof with the key.

Awesome video as ever; and thanks to the white Peugeot 404 parked in the back, I found your Peugeot video too :)

It’s so difficult to understand when you guys in the usa call the B5 passat “unreliable” in general. Like whaaat.. in Europe they have such a good reputation, for being one of the most reliable cars ever.. some of tdis here have more than 1m km on the dash.. hows that unreliable? 😁..

The closest I can get to this is my parents CC that they got new in 2014, which already at that point was decently aged having been based off the B6 Passat. But I'm so glad they still have it and leagues better than anything else VW currently sells. I lowkey hope they get an Arteon to keep the VW tradition alive in the fam.

My brother has the wagon version 2004 6 speed manual W8 wagon, 1 of 95. Freaking love it!

Truly a one of a kind!! RIP the era where VW was truly very innovative!! They just don't make these unicorns anymore!!

My buddy has this same Passat in wagon variety. Supposed to be 1 of 1 in that combo and color. It no longer has the w8 but it has all the proof that it was once.

No, not the craziest thing the ever did. They made a really BIG Passat called the Phaeton with a W12. The level of sheer madness that was engineered into that thing is mind-boggling. The W8 Passat, well, that's just cool. EDIT: Still watching...I see you know about this mad man.

The b5 stationwagon 1.9 tdi is awesome!

Love the W8 Passats. Thanks for showing.

i have a b5.5 wagon. its a good car, very solid. and yep well into the 200K miles, keeping up with maintenance is crucial.

Sorta related - before I purchased my 2009 JSW TDi manual, I test-drove a JSW 2.0T manual. It wasn't an advertised model and I've never seen another one on the road since. Definitely a unicorn. Neat machine but back then the TDi had a clean vehicle rebate and no sales tax, and it was significantly cheaper to buy in the long run vs the gas turbo. Loved the TDi, had a Unitronic tune and sold it back to VW for like 11.5k with 220k on the odo for the scandal. Bought an Mk7 R with the extra dough :)

I almost bought a W8 Passat Wagon manual about 5 years back. There was one on eBay reasonably priced, but high miles. It probably needed an engine build, but for how rare they are, I probably missed a gold opportunity.

Thank you Tommy. Love that series of Passats 1997-2004, often referred to as the poor man's Audi.

Fantastic video. Love that car for what it is. What a cool and rare gem. Thanks

@5:37 It was basically a test mule. It is a complex design that is neither particularly powerful nor particularly frugal. :D

0:20 Luv the sound of the flat-plane crankshaft VV8

Plastics in Toyotas fall apart really bad too 😂😂. In my 99 Corolla, I had to replace every door handle, a cup holder, a storage bin cover, and arear view mirror. The headliner eventually started sagging too.

One of the coolest cars in this channel...,amazing car from a, probably, Volkswagen's golden era.... well done👍🤝

This guy is totally right. The coolest cars are on FB Marketplace lmfao. The 4motion Passats are awesome even with the 1.8tsi.

i had one of these, put over 100,000 miles on it. The rear seats did not fold down because of the chassis brace. the two fuel tanks. Which means it was the only B5.5 passat with a space saving spare. The fuel gauge going up after there was enough room in the front tank was something odd. The 135MPH limiter, the impressive brakes, and the confidence the AWD system would give you to yeet into a corner with no regard to your own life. What a car.

That exhaust sound insanely good and I respect the owner..it was the car he always wanted then he finally gets it..but then he spenthe 3k to make the engine and now it run well and sound like a monster

I have owned one like this, also sedan, same colour, no manual but an automatic. Indeed once you adressed the cam adjusting system and the thermostat (€680,= part price in Europe) it will run long and without major issues. I treated mine with Forté before every oil change to prevent the adjusters to seize up due to oil sludge, worked like a charm. The thing you guys forgot to mention is the stiffness of the body. Only with the B5.5 W8 Volkswagen made the body extra stiff in order to have more stabilty at high speeds. I had mine op to 285 Km./h. (about 170 Mph.) on an empty stretch of German autobahn. The thing didn't break a sweat and felt as stable as on lower speeds. Of course also this won't make a racecar out of a Passat, but i thought it was worth the mention. Good luck with that nice sounding W8, hope she will give you many more miles of fun.

I remember in 2004 I came up behind one of these in my tuned Peugeot 405 Mi16. Was about to go past him to see if he would have a bit of a race and noticed 2 small blue lights in the corners of the rear windows... In N.Ireland the police were the only people who bought them. Would love one now but impossible to get

There's just one here in Brazil and it's a Variant W8 with manual gearbox, they've posted a video of that car here in KZfaq.

I have a 2004 W8 auto here in Australia, absolutely love it. Completely stock with 210,000kms on it. The leather is Nappa leather and it holds up really well. I also have a 2001 Bora V6 4motion Manual with the same interior spec. Both brilliant cars, provided you do the maintenance.

That's a really nice looking interior too. Volkswagens are nice. Not reliable but God are they nice to drive. My '09 Passat is still my favorite car I've owned to this day and I've driven almost every brand and owned 20 different cars from an 07 V12 bmw to a '16 Lincoln mkz 3.7 to a 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0, to a 2013 dodge charger rt, to a 1997 Lincoln mark viii....lots of variety! That Passat with the turbo was fun as hell 😂

I have a 92 Corrado I bought new so this car impressed me. It is really an Audi S4 alternative.

I have a 2003 W8 with 156K and have only been able to take it to the VW Dealer to get it fix when needed. I like working on it myself but a lot of the things I would do I can't because you have to go through the engine bay and I do not have the right tools or the space to tear down a car. but I love this car it is so much fun!!

One of the best cars I’ve ever owned...... a total sleeper!! Had it for almost 10 years......

I like the B5 Passat. Used to own a 1999 2.8 V6 Syncro Sedan and a 2003 1.9 TDI Wagon.

Man that sounds insanely good!👌🥰👍I like the looks of that Passat!

I owned an 03 W8. Absolutely loved blowing the doors off other cars. Total sleeper

I own a 04 1.8T FWD with 242,000 miles currently. My first and definitely my best car (in my opinion beings I’ve owned also a 2020 Civic Touring Sedan)! Definitely buy one if you see one for sale!

A W8 was the same thing as an Audi S4. Beautiful. I had a 2000 Passat VR6, with a six speed manual, and the 2.8L six cylinder. It was a GREAT car. I wished I still had it (I traded it in on a 2003 Audi A4 3.0L 6sp).

I never knew they made so few of these… a local mechanic in Danvers MA had THREE of these things that he was maintaining.

Tommy, wanna try a V10 TDI Phaeton? I'm from EU, but you're welcome to try it out when you're in the neighbourhood

I've owned 3 B5.5 Passat wagon diesels in the past... I just picked up the 4th one about a month ago. Every time I sell one I've previously owned, I end up pining to have it back. I've owned a lot of cars, I've sat in and drove a lot of different cars over the years thanks to working in shops as a technician. For whatever reason, I keep coming back to this generation of Passat as one I just like to be behind the wheel of from a comfort, head room and just nice-to-cruise-down-the-highway use. The wagons are super spacious for hauling stuff, too. For a mid-sized car, there's a surprising amount of rear leg room in these. Fairly long wheelbase for what's not a super wide car. I love most VWs from the early to mid 2000s. The sheet metal feels thicker, higher quality. These Passats do just feel like mini tanks driving down the road. Super solid-feeling. They're not exciting in the sense of outright performance and handling, but there's another quality to the feel of being behind the wheel of these that's just simply... satisfying, somehow. Old friend of mine from when I lived in Michigan owns one of the super rare W8 manual wagons, black on black. He swears there's only 7 that are black on black W8 manual wagons like his. Someday I'll find one for myself, along with a W12 Phaeton. That will complete my "Piech Trifecta" of over the top mid 2000s VWs with wild engines inspired by that man. I already own a Touareg with the 10 cylinder TDI...

I own one of the 97 or whatever Manual Wagons brought over! Currently rebuilding it!

W8 manual Passat and a w12 phaeton are on my list of “rare” North American vw cars to own. Should fit in nicely with my v10 TDI’s.

Great video! Feels like the Doug Demuro videos from the past.

One of my dream cars is a passat wagon w8 with a manual. Only so little brought to the states

I had a Passat of this generation with the turbo 4 and manual transmission. The air-conditioner was lousy and couldn't handle Texas heat. Other than that it was a swank, roomy, classy car. I liked it.

I have a 6speed w8 wagon. Favorite car I've ever owned.

I had an ‘01 S4 Avant in that time frame, fun times. Would love to own the last, Gen3 TDI turbo V8 Touareg. 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque. Schnell zug!

Rumour has it that the W8 was VAG's experiment with the W style engine that would later be used in the Phaeton and A8 (W12) and finally the W16 used in the Veyron.

It's a Wheelbarrow, popular in whole Europe, especially in Poland since it costs to buy and to maintain are very little.

I bought my W8 new and still have it to go with my V10 tdi Touareg which I also bought new. They are a bit of a money pit but they are fun to drive. They are both great in the snow.

What a gorgeous car I have the b5.5 130bhp 6 speed estate and I love it so much full leather sunroof car has everything and she is still going strong with 24000 miles

He was in high school when these came out! Man I feel old 😂

Eight cylinders, AWD, and a manual transmission This was a labor of love Did 0-60 in 6.7 seconds, which was pretty good, 20 years ago.

I test drove a W8 manual wagon at the VW in Reno, NV back when they were new. I was 18ish and I tried my best to get my dad to buy it but even though my dad loved cars and we had lots of cool cars as far as VW went all he was interested in was a TDI to save a ton of money when he was driving all over the western part of the country. He had his Audi for his AWD manual car.

Mine has never had cam adjusters replaced, its at 180k and still going strong.

I have a 2003 Passat W8! 126000 miles and it’s a fantastic car!

yeah, had a W8 wagon few years back, nice sounding engines but I still prefer my TDi

Love my b5.5 1.8t( longitudinal )Passat manual wagon!

I daily drive a 2004 W8 and I love it. Best car I’ve ever owned and it’s a beast in the winter here in Canada.

About to get one....this helped with the decision..

I used to own one in station wagon form in Canada here. Mine ate M3s and TL Type S for lunch. I didn't want the Audi. This w8 went in various forms into the Bentley and Veyrons. I loved the car. This was a B5.5 technically. Of all the cars I've owned... This one I did miss. I did drive a Phaeton for awhile but that was not anything like the Passat W8.

I have an '04 Passat 1.8t(20v) with 4motion and a manual and it's pretty bonkers too. Fast, and a LOT of fun and not the maintenance nightmare the w8 is. And the ESP button Tommy pointed out is essentially a traction control off button for even more fun ^^

Like this guys collection of unique “normal” vehicles

B5/B5.5 Passat is built on the same platform as the A4 but arguably better as far as the interior goes. The center console is larger and nicer where the A4 is the same as the Jetta interior wise. This Passat is one of few VW's to receive the Torsen instead of the Haldex in the 4Motion models. Transverse engines get the Haldex. Even the FWD model isn't transverse mounted. The W8 was a project to test the new cylinder design that evolved to the W12 found in the Phaeton and T1 Touareg, then later the W16 in the Veyron. VW has some hidden gems most have no clue exist. Glovebox also has an A/C vent and is sized for a 750ml wine bottle (chiller box).

An example from the golden age of creativity at Volkswagen. Surely the best era for enthusiasts. Crazy capable but soft looking SUV with a redicolous choice of engines. 8 cylinder Passat. 6 cylinder AWD Golf. 12 cylinder luxury sedan (basically a Bentley).

"This is a Passat with 8 cylinders, AWD, and a manual transmission. And we just so happened to catch it running so we better make this video EXTREMELY quickly."

The wagon version would be the holy grail...ridiculously cool..( & fragile)