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2005 Volkswagen Phaeton Signature Series: Yeah it's a V-Dub!
"Look - it's a Benz, hey it's a BMW, nah it's a Volkswagen!” I could literally hear the comments as our gorgeous and sexy metallic silver VW Phaeton Signature Series cruised the avenue, wowing onlookers, peaking their curiosity. People were interrupting their conversations trying to figure out what it was. Little known to the general public at the time, VW had birthed a full-sized flagship sedan in the Phaeton that was a half-brother to Audi's big boy, the A8 sedan. For those who don't know, Audi is the luxury division to VW as Lexus is to Toyota and Infiniti to Nissan. With the A8 steadily gathering momentum in recent years, VW decided it wanted a stake in the big car market, just as they jumped into the SUV market with the Touareg, which is doing okay. Yet the results of the Phaeton were not what VW had hoped for!
 Riding on a platform shared with the Bentley Continental GT and Audi A8, Phaeton was an extended road trip waiting to happen. I speak of Phaeton in the past tense because VW stopped production on Phaetons for sale in the US market, citing poor sales.
Automotive Rhythm's (AR) love affair with the Phaeton started on a road trip in May, 2005 and caught our attention immediately. AR Publisher K. Rawlins and I landed in Dallas, Texas to pick up our chariot, ready for the multi- state drive to Las Vegas to link up with VIP Customs, who had agreed to do some custom work to the Phaeton.
 Driving across the open roads of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada could not have been any smoother. Phaeton's all-wheel drive and air suspension made the whole driver/passenger experience relaxing and stress free. I remember an open stretch of road outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico where I opened up the 335-horsepower V8 and the Phaeton's high-end speed and control were excellent. All the while driving, I felt as though I was floating on cloud nine. The steering was firm and responsive and the big body handled curves with ease.
We arrived in Las Vegas ahead of schedule feeling fresh, as the Phaeton is blessed with a huge interior cabin and excellent front and rear passenger legroom, and could transport Georgia Tech's starting-five to a game with ease. Though this year's Tech team probably would've lost, the Phaeton was winning the battle of uniqueness on the road. Nobody had a Phaeton! When you have Las Vegas valets, who are used to parking the hottest whips twisting around to catch a peek, you know you got •em! Pulling up, they thought George Clooney and Brad Pitt were back to film Ocean's Thirteen.
 Back to the adventure, and unfortunately for VIP Customs, they flaked on us, and were unable to perform the job we had previously agreed to before driving to Vegas. Their excuse was technical difficulties, even after scouting out the big boy at the dealership. If we had known their shop was scare of a VW then we could have saved days of driving and $1500 in change. Bad way to do business! Findlay Volkswagen of Las Vegas had our backs and housed the Phaeton for us until we shipped it back to the AR headquarters so we could "Flip our Whip.”
For the "flip” we started from the ground up. Davin Wheels handed off a wicked set of two-piece forged 20” Speed 1 rims that we surrounded with Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The black rims with the chrome lip was a nasty look. Now, the Phaeton is a Phaeton. We then took it to our peeps Mark and Chris at Wagensport in Laurel, Maryland. They had access to a factory computer that lowered air suspension levels 1” to give the Phaeton a more aggressive look and also installed a performance chip increasing output from 335 to 358-horsepower. As if we needed more reason to refuel sooner. Although it gets thirsty often, Shell V-Power always does the V-Dub right and cleans the injectors so fresh there's no reason for burping.
 Probably the hottest addition was the one-off chrome mesh grille Jon and Len created for us at E&G Classics in Columbia, Maryland. This grille gave the Phaeton a fresh new expression that caught your eye every time. Many inquired about the grille piece since no other company makes one for the Phaeton. Yet, all were stuck out of luck. If sales were up on the Phaeton, E&G would have been more than delighted to mass produce a grille.
From there we dropped the Phaeton off with our man Hamid, owner of Big Boys Toys of Oxon Hill, Maryland. First they blacked out the windows with 35% tint, installed Audiobahn 7” headrest screens, an 8” screen for trunk lid, and a DVD player. JL Audio supplied a 10” subwoofer and two extremely powerful amps to blast out the tunes.
With all that done, we started our Spring/Summer Tour with the Waterfest VW/Audi car show in Englishtown, New Jersey. Our boy George Achorn of VWVortex.com drove the Phaeton there and the VW/Audi enthusiasts gave it their seal of approval. The AR team then took a trip to Detroit for the Dub Series and blew them away too. Even in Detroit, no one knew what the Phaeton was and how to handle it.
 We then headed to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the Funkmaster Flex Car show and the Phaeton was the best new car out there. Unfortunately the Phaeton was too new to garner voting love from the judges on "tuners.” The public loved it once again, and the judges let us know they appreciated the car ® that it was in a class by itself at the show.
For the biggest, best show of the year, we shipped the Phaeton back out to Las Vegas for the SEMA Show, which every year showcases the hottest custom vehicles in the land. With tens of thousands in attendance, the Phaeton held its own and got a lot of oohs and ahhs from the attendees.
When we returned from Las Vegas, we knew the Phaeton was on par with its German premium counterparts. Once we got people in the car, its essence took over, and exuded the luxury and amenities you come to expect from a $80K vehicle, no matter the badge.
Going into the winter, the Phaeton graced Automotive Rhythm's marketing cards that were distributed nationally at various lifestyle events and shows. Phaeton was also one of the flagship vehicles in the AR Urban Restyln' Salon at the 2006 Washington Auto Show.
Volkswagen did a great job in building the Phaeton and knowing what the luxury consumer wants in their car. What they did not know was that same buyer was going to have trouble putting down that much money for a vehicle brand associated with economy. In the end, too many consumers had tunnel vision and were unable to think outside the box and see the Phaeton as a big beautiful luxury sedan. Our time with the Phaeton will soon be over. We'll miss it much!
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Tracey Loves it |
The ladies love it |
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Ahni loves it |
AR Team with VW Execs |
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Monica loves it |
G. Joe tests the Audio |
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Custom Screens by Big Boys |
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