Passat B3 is a very light package that is Golf-based.
We thought this concept, which is tied to both the nameplates of the VW Passat and the 2020 Passat , was worth your attention.
Although the face might say Passat A3, the Emden, Germany midsize sedan was released almost seven years after Auto 2000. This interesting concept, which was to be the third-generation Passat’s exterior design, was closely related to the original golf. The steering wheel was borrowed from the GTI. The side profile reminds us of a Honda CR-X. However, the GTI’s digital instrument cluster is very modern.
The Mercedes Auto 2000 was a part of a 1980 project funded by West Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research and Technology. Its goal was to create research vehicles with a significantly higher fuel economy than production cars. The cars were required to burn 9.5 liters/100 km (27.7 miles per gallon) and weigh between 1,250 and 1,700 kg (2,755 to 2,747 pounds). Fuel consumption must not exceed 11 liters/100 km (1.4 mpg) if the car weighs between 1,701 to 2,150 kg (3.750 and 4,740 lbs).
The research vehicles must be large enough to carry four people and 400kg (882 pounds) of luggage. They also have to be roughly the same size as production cars, offer comparable performance, and be able to transport 4 people. The Federal Ministry of Research and Technology provided 110 million Deutschmarks to encourage automakers to join the project.
VW constructed several prototypes. The first featured a three-cylinder turbodiesel motor producing 53 horsepower. It allowed the concept to reach 62mph (100 km/h) in just 18.2 seconds. On the way to 100 mph (161 km/h), it was painfully slow at 18.2 seconds. Engineers then developed a supercharged version (60 horsepower) that reduced the sprint time by 15.8 seconds and increased the top speed to 115 miles (186 km/h).
The primitive start/stop system on both diesel engines was a simple one that turned the engine off if it idled more than two seconds. It then turned it back on when the driver moved the gear lever. Two diesel engines were connected to a manual five-speed transmission. A supercharged, 1.0-liter four cylinder gasoline engine with 75 horsepower was available and connected to a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
The turbodiesel was the most efficient of the three options. It consumed only 4.2 Liters/100 km (56 MPG) to allow for a huge driving distance of 870 miles (1400 km). Supercharged versions were close behind at 4.6 liters/100 km (51.1 mpg), while gasoline models required 7.9 liters/100 km (29.7 mg). This impressive result was not only achieved by engineering efficient engines but also by creating an aerodynamic body with a drag coefficient just 0.25. Aero efficiency was also considered when the small 13-inch wheels were fitted with full hubcaps. The car was roughly the same size as the Scirocco II and weighed in at 780 kg (1,719 lbs). This makes it pint-sized! The car, which weighs in at over 900 kilograms (1,984 lbs), makes the city car look fat.