VW Passat W8 4Motion: The most needlessly complicated car ever

I spied one of these at the local Bed, Bath & Beyond parking lot.  (Don't I lead an exciting life?)

It's one thing to own a Citroen SM or a 450SEL 6.9 with a complicated suspension.  But to stuff a mid-range Volkswagen with a W8 (two V4s sewn together), 4Motion, a Tiptronic transmission, and hundreds of gremlins-feeding electronic gizmos?  It's sheer insanity.

VW went through all that trouble and this is the result:

• A car that is 75% more expensive than a base Passat.
• Extreme front weight bias.
• A FOUR liter eight cylinder capable of a whopping 270 hp.
• Less than 500 were sold in America in 2004.
• It weights almost 3,900 pounds.
• No power below 2500 rpm, max torque just 250 rpm later.

Nevertheless, there is a still a small and rabid cult that worships this car.  Go figure.

Photo credits: Badge and engine.