RE: A4 = Passat?

[Peter Henriksen <peterhe@microsoft.com>]

I've had the same thoughts. The Passat may be a little less wieldy due
to being a bit bigger, but the reviews I've seen so far have been
extremely positive (primarily Car magazine). Should be interesting to
see how VW intends to avoid cannibalizing the A4...

About the engines: I'm beginning to think I was wrong in my original
post. The V6 in the Passat is indeed the same as in the Audi and will
eventually also be the 30v V6. There's also a VR5 (!) option for the
Passat - I don't know anything else about that engine apart from it
being based on the 15 degree VR6, but it should be interesting. The
engines in the Passat are even longtitudinally mounted and it will be
offered with quattro (called Syncro to stick with the historical badging
of VW's AWD/4WD vehicles, supposedly).

Audi's V6 is not a narrow angle design. I don't know what other
significant differences there are between the 2.
- peter

>-----Original Message-----
>From:	Fringe Ryder [SMTP:Fringe@ai.net]
>Sent:	Tuesday, October 15, 1996 11:40 AM
>To:	Peter Henriksen
>Cc:	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
>Subject:	RE: A4 = Passat?
>
>Is the narrow-angle VW VR6 the same engine as in the Audi though?  If
>they're different, how?
>
>The Passat is about $6K less expensive fully-loaded than an equivalent A4
>(without quattro).  I'm curious if the cost is entirely the four-ring logo,
>better service, better suspension, and optional quattro.
>
>Regards
>
>At 11:17 AM 15-10-96 -0700, you wrote:
>>The new Passat (97?) is to a large extent an A4. It's somewhat longer
>>and has the rear suspension from the next A6. It will probably have a
>>different and partially overlapping engine range. The narrow angle V6 is
>>actually the VW VR6 (15 degrees), I believe.
>>- peter
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From:	Fringe Ryder [SMTP:Fringe@ai.net]
>>>Sent:	Tuesday, October 15, 1996 10:29 AM
>>>To:	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
>>>Subject:	A4 = Passat?
>>>
>>>I saw a Volkswagon Passat sedan yesterday - it looks like an A4
>>>doppleganger.  Same grilled, different logo.  Same trunk-line, same rear
>>>quarter-window, same everything.  So I looked up the configurations.  It
>>>can
>>>be had with what I'd guess is the same engine, a "narrow-angle 172bhp 2.8L
>>>V-6".
>>>
>>>So is the A4 just a higher level of trim and suspension than the base
>>>Passat, but otherwise the same car?
>>>
>>>Fringe
>>>
>>
>>
>