VW to Debut 300-hp Passat R36 at Essen Show

Volkswagen has officially pulled the wraps off of the most potent Passat its ever made. Its called the R36, and itll make its world debut at the Essen Motor Show in Germany on November 30th. The principles applied to the Passat R36 are similar to those of the European-market Golf R32, with focus on speed and handling, but with extra room for passengers and their luggage.

In Europe, the R36 marks a significant step up from the top of the line V6 model. Across the Atlantic, top-tier Passats are powered by a 3.2-liter narrow-angle V6 that makes 250 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque, the same engine that can be found, wedged under the hood of the Golf R32 and the upcoming Audi TT. Thats quite a difference from our Passat V6, which has a 280-hp direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 with 265 lb-ft of torque; that incidentally is the engine that the R36 is based on. Various tweaks and changes to the direct-injection V6 enhance output to 300 horsepower.

Unlike our Passat V6, the R36 is only available with one drivetrain. All models come from the factory with Volkswagens excellent DSG sequential manual gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel drive. VW has yet to offer any version of the 3.6-liter engine with a manual gearbox, and were not certain theres going to be one under development.  Still, any way you slice it the R36 is a very, very quick vehicle, taking just 5.5 seconds to hit 60 mph for the sedan, and 5.7 seconds for the wagon version. And surely, itd be the fastest mainstream entry-level sedan on the market if it werent for the pesky electronic speed limiter that pegs the Passat, like Audi, BMW and Benz, to 155 mph.

Of course, theres no sense in equipping a car with this high level of performance without letting the world know. Volkswagens design team has sent out the message via a subtle reworking of the exterior design. New additions with the R36 package include matte chrome grille inserts, twin exhaust pipes, a sporty body kit with an Audi S-Line-style front splitter, and 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. The R36 looks wider than the standard Passat as its fenders have been enlarged in order to fit those wide tires and increase the cars tracks for more stable handling. The sedan version has a rear spoiler moulded right into the trunk lid as well, while the wagons spoiler has been mounted on the roof.

The interior has also gone through a makeover, which includes the addition of sports seats, a GTI-style flat-bottom steering wheel, and aluminum pedals with the "R" racing logo. All trim on the dash, console and doors is texturized aluminum, and the instruments now glow white instead of the usual blue. As it stands, were unlikely to get the R36 in North America as its too closely related to the standard Passat, which is a real shame.