
A few weeks ago during wagon week, I wrote up an unloved pair in the German cars enthusiast world; a 6-speed Passat W8 sedan and automatic W8 Variant. While in general most would prefer the manual, in this case throwing the versatility of the Variant into the mix confused matters. Ultimately, though, it seemed like no one really liked either of these complicated Volkswagens. That’s a shame, because unfortunately companies like Volkswagen and Audi at least in part determine which of their elite models to bring over to the U.S. based upon sales, and in that regard models like the W8 Passat and Phaeton are examples of why the niche cars aren’t brought over here. When they’ve been available to us, we simply haven’t bought them in great number.
Today is another example of the neat W8 platform, this time a darker Silverstone Metallic sedan that also has the desirable 6-speed manual transmission:

Year: 2003
Model: Passat W8 4motion
Engine: 4.0 liter W8
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 73,000 mi
Price: $8,500 Buy It Now

We are selling a 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 4motion with only 73k miles. It comes with the VERY RARE 6-speed manual transmission and full BBS sport package options. It is super clean and runs excellent. Very smooth and powerful car. Please see all the pictures for exact condition. Warranty options are available up to 3 years. We finance and accept credit cards for full/partial payment. We also take trade-ins and can arrange shipping if needed (ask for a quote). Feel free to call us with any questions at 516-543-4600. Thank you

This is a great looking sedan in very good shape; the wheels on the W8 are usually the tell-tale if the car has been well maintained. Those great-looking 2-piece BBS Madras wheels corrode heavily along the polished lip when curbed and not cleaned. The original condition of these wheels would seem to indicate that this car was at least in part well loved. The headlights also show little of the clouding typical in the B5.5 chassis, so either they were well polished (something that doesn’t seem to jibe with the rest of the car’s presentation) or the car was likely garaged, thereby avoiding sun damage.
Silverstone is a pretty, understated color on this performance machine. With lower miles and in good overall condition, as these go this seems to be well presented. However, the car lacks any detailed mechanical history which I would really like when purchasing a car such as this. The last W8 6-speed I wrote up hammered for $5,800 – probably close to the ceiling for the sedan version of this car right now. Considering the slightly lower miles on this car, perhaps $6,500 – $7,000 would be the maximum value for the right person – well short of the $8,500 Buy It Now.
-Carter