Skip advert
Advertisement

Volkswagen Passat Performance Concept

Volkswagen unveils its US-only Passat Performance Concept at the 2013 Detroit motor show

Volkswagen has unveiled a Passat Performance Concept at the 2013 Detroit motor show. With a subtly beefed up exterior appearance and a 247bhp 1.8-litre TSI petrol turbo engine, it helps explore the Passat’s sporty side and create a spiritual successor to the rare Passat R36.

Full 2013 Detroit motor show coverage here This one won’t reach European shores, however. It is based on the US version of the Passat, for starters, a bigger car than Europe’s and one that’s constructed in America as opposed to Germany. A performance Passat would prove a minority seller in the UK, too, where the current range-topping petrol, which uses the 207bhp 2-litre TSI engine from the Golf GTI, makes up less than two per cent of Passat registrations. We could, however, see an R-line bodykit for the Passat later in its life. A similar treatment has already proved popular on other models, including the sporty Scirocco coupe, reviewed here.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Full 2013 Detroit motor show coverage here

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI

With the sun shining and fuel prices palatable, now is the time to indulge your used sports car desires
1 Jul 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025