Volkswagen Gets Daring With Passat GT Concept

Volkswagen Passat GT Concept (Credit: Volkswagen )

When you think of pulse-pounding performance, the Volkswagen Passat is probably the last car to cross your mind. Remember the Dodge Charger commercial that openly made fun of the German sedan? Maybe that jab touched a nerve, because VW has revealed a sporty Passat GT Concept.

Before you think Volkswagen has finally unleashed the Passat, know this thing is more bark than bite. It packs over 20 design changes, compared to the production model. There’s also a monstrous VR6 engine under the hood, pushing out a measly 280 horsepower. That’s weak, because you can get a Camry with a 268-horsepower V-6. In fact, it’s the same engine available in the 2017 Passat!

So that’s a swing and a miss for VW. Supposedly this concept is based on feedback from US customers and dealerships. Maybe Passat fans are really craving red accent lines, smoked taillights, dual trapezoidal exhaust pipes and getting trashed by a Hyundai Sonata?

To be fair, Volkswagen did drop the ride height 0.6 inches, which doesn’t sound like much but supposedly makes this thing grounded to the ground. You have to wonder if the team in charge of this concept used to work for Acura.