If there is one thing we love here at Hooniverse, it’s wagons. Be it a classic diesel Benz, a super-tanker long ’67 Country Sedan, or a modern super sports wagon a la the E63 and forbidden-fruit RS6 Avant.
There are some wagons out there that make you take a step back… it all looks great on paper, but would it simply be one nightmare fix after another? The prime example of this can currently be found on AutoTrader.com and I believe it is the only one of its kind on that site.
Hoons and Hoonettes, I present to you… the manual transmission-equipped 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 with 4Motion AWD.The ad for this VW W8 is from a private seller in LA, and only includes 2 stock photos of the car. This whole thing could be shenanigans but it might be worth looking into for the truly adventurous among us.

Here is the description from the seller:

very RARE W8 manual trans, 270-hp, fully loaded. unbelievable ride. sadly selling due to move to NY. great condition,very clean, bought off lease and meticulous care from local dealership – all scheduled maintenance, non-smoker, garage kept, never seen snow. car has been a dream. no major repairs, a few minor things like thermostat and bulbs. fast, super smooth drive, lots of cargo space, and good city (great hwy) mpg for an 8 cyl. a feat of engineering, this car is a must-drive. ** uploading photos very soon.

I have seen this ad up for some time, with no new photos. I think there are only three scenarios for this W8:
-It was sold and the ad was never taken down. The new owner is waiting to hoon the tires of this car, but it is currently sitting in a VW service bay waiting for a $35 part that sits underneath the intake manifold and requires 75 hours of labor charges.
-It was never sold but the seller had to move to NY. The car is sitting in the garage of the owner’s friend’s/parent’s/ex-wife’s home.
-The owner’s job in NY fell through, he decided to stay in LA and work on the W8 – he is now the lead engineer for VW of North America.
These are the only three possible explanations I can see… what say you?
Also, with is the asking price of $15,400 enough to make you jump at the chance to own this car, or jump out of your chair and run away in horror?
Link to the ad: 2003 VW W8 Passat 4Motion Wagon
[Source: AutoTrader.com, CWWcardesign.com]