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The 1998 Volkswagen W12 Roadster, designed by ItalDesign Giugiaro, was an open-top evolution of the W12 Syncro concept and debuted at the 1998 Geneva Motor Show. This striking red roadster was part of Volkswagen’s effort to gain experience in the luxury supercar segment and showcase its technical innovation. It featured a mid-longitudinal 5.6-liter W12 engine producing 420 PS (414 bhp) and was rear-wheel drive, unlike the Syncro, which had all-wheel drive.
Built for high performance, the W12 Roadster sat on 19-inch alloy wheels with 255/40 tires at the front and 285/35 at the rear. The car’s aerodynamic design incorporated ducts behind the seats for safety harnesses, reinforcing its race-inspired nature. Although it never entered production, the W12 Roadster demonstrated Volkswagen’s ambition to compete in the high-performance luxury vehicle market.
The W12 Roadster followed the unveiling of the W12 Syncro at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show and was a more refined and performance-oriented iteration of that concept. While the project did not lead to a production supercar, it paved the way for Volkswagen’s future high-performance engineering, influencing models like the Bentley Continental GT and the Phaeton.
