{"id":499693,"date":"2022-02-25T08:03:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T16:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=128032"},"modified":"2024-10-03T18:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T18:07:36","slug":"20th-anniversary-of-volkswagen-w12-nardo-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/20th-anniversary-of-volkswagen-w12-nardo-record\/","title":{"rendered":"20th Anniversary of Volkswagen W12 Nard\u00f2 Record"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the 20th<\/sup> anniversary of the date the Volkswagen W12 broke seven world speed records on the famed Nard\u00f2 circuit in Italy, we take a look back at the infamous supercar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Study W12 Coup\u00e9 (2001)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Engine Study W12 Coup\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Few are aware the first supercar to feature a functioning example of Volkswagen\u2019s unique \u201cW\u201d engine was not the Bugatti Veyron with its quad-turbocharged W16 engine. Instead, the earliest progenitor bore a VW emblem on its hood. With aerodynamic styling penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign, the striking W12 Concept Coupe that debuted at the Tokyo International Motor Show in 1997 was, just like the Veyron, an out-and-out supercar. Perhaps even more significantly, it broke the traditional notion that a Volkswagen had to be a regular family car, paving the way for range-topping luxury and performance models from the brand.<\/p>\n

The W12 Concept Coupe was powered by a 5.6-liter W12 engine, made by mating two of the company\u2019s compact and lightweight 2.8-liter VR6 engines on a common crankshaft. When married, the W12 made 414 horsepower, which was channeled through Volkswagen\u2019s Syncro all-wheel drive and a six-speed sequential transmission.<\/p>\n

The W12 was a hit\u2014at least in concept form. Though it never made it to series production, Volkswagen\u2019s first supercar utterly exemplified the term. Its windshield was a single sheet of specially-curved glass that stretched all the way through the end of the roofline, splitting double gullwing doors and blending directly into a glass engine cover that allowed a view of the mighty W12 beneath. With the flames stoked, a roadster variant was unveiled in 1998 at the Geneva Motor Show.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Volkswagen W12 Nardo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It would be another three years before reasoning for the earlier prototypes\u2019 existence became clear. In 2001, Volkswagen announced it would attempt to set the 24-hour speed record at the 7.8-mile Nard\u00f2 Ring in southern Italy. The W12 Concept Coupe seen in auto shows had evolved significantly\u2014the W12 engine was enlarged to six liters, which, among other mechanical differences, resulted in power leaping to 591 horsepower. It did away with the coupe concept\u2019s all-wheel drive system, and tipping the scales at a scant 2,646 lbs, it sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.<\/p>\n

On the ground in October 2001, the W12 was instantly in its element, clocking an average speed of 183.5 miles per hour over 4,402 miles, shattering the World Record. The feat was particularly astounding considering it was the first real trial of the first road-going VW Group W engine ever. As remarkable an accomplishment as it was, the team knew the W12 still had more to give.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
World record run by Volkswagen W12 in Nardo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fewer than four months later, on February 23, 2002, they would return to see the W12 Nardo cover a distance of 4,809 miles and sustain an average speed of 200.6 miles per hour. If there was any question about the durability of the W-series engine, it was answered at Nard\u00f2 that day. In achieving this astounding average speed, the W12 Nardo set seven world records and 12 international class records in the process.<\/p>\n

Volkswagen could now lay claim to nine of 12 world records relating to distance and time. The additional two were set by the ARVW (Aerodynamic Research VW) in 1980. According to the Federation International de l\u2019Automobile (FIA), all nine world records stand to this day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the 20th anniversary of the date the Volkswagen W12 broke seven world speed records on the famed Nard\u00f2 circuit in Italy, we take a look back at the infamous supercar. Few are aware the first supercar to feature a functioning example of Volkswagen\u2019s unique \u201cW\u201d engine was not the Bugatti Veyron with its quad-turbocharged W16 engine. Instead, the earliest progenitor bore a VW emblem on its hood. With aerodynamic styling penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign, the striking W12 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":613971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[255,180],"tags":[603,429,181],"class_list":["post-499693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-volkswagen","tag-anniversary","tag-news","tag-volkswagen"],"yoast_head":"\n20th Anniversary of Volkswagen W12 Nard\u00f2 Record<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/20th-anniversary-of-volkswagen-w12-nardo-record\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"20th Anniversary of Volkswagen W12 Nard\u00f2 Record\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On the 20th anniversary of the date the Volkswagen W12 broke seven world speed records on the famed Nard\u00f2 circuit in Italy, we take a look back at the infamous supercar. 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Annis is the Founder and Editor of Vintage Racecar\/Vintage Roadcar magazine, the Petersen Museum\u2019s Finish Line and Petersen Quarterly, Alfa Owner, and The Oily Rag magazines. He founded Parabolica Publishing in 1997 after a career in biology, anatomy and neurobiology. Along with this passion for automobiles Casey is a long distance open-ocean paddleboard racer who\u2019s competed in the 32-mile Catalina to Manhattan Beach race and the 32-mile Molokai to Oahu race. 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