Photo: Instagram | AbimelecDesign
Some of us were never fans of the Beetle, but we got to hand it to Volkswagen for making one hot limited edition of the ‘people’s car’, based on the second generation.
It was dubbed the Beetle RSi, came in 250 units, had a muscular design, 18-inch OZ wheels, tweaked chassis, bigger brakes, and the famous VR6 engine. In fact, this was the brand’s first model to pack the 3.2-liter unit that was subsequently introduced in the Golf R32 Mk4.
Inspired by the hot variant of the Bug, AbimelecDesign put his Photoshop skills to work and came up with the Phaeton RSi. The car has fender flares, reinterpreted front and rear bumpers, less chrome trim, small wing on the trunk lid, dual exhaust pipes, and the ‘RSi’ logo under the right taillight. It rides on OZ Superturismo wheels, identical to the ones equipping the Beetle RSi, yet slightly bigger.
Uprated brakes, sportier suspension, and fewer inches under its belly would’ve been other defining traits of a hypothetical RSi version of the Phaeton, together with a punchy engine. Here, Volkswagen would have had a lot of options, considering that their dead flagship sedan used to share its underpinnings with the Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT, Continental Flying Spur, and Porsche Panamera.
Nevertheless, it did come with a 6.0-liter W12 that produced 420 ps (414 hp / 309 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque, and 450 ps (444 hp / 331 kW) and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) in its later years. Both of them had a top speed electronically capped at 250 kph (155 mph), and the punchier model was capable of accelerating to 100 kph (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds, two tenths of a second quicker than its predecessor. The famous 5.0-liter V10 TDI diesel was also offered in the Phaeton, with 313 ps (309 hp / 230 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft).
Inspired by the hot variant of the Bug, AbimelecDesign put his Photoshop skills to work and came up with the Phaeton RSi. The car has fender flares, reinterpreted front and rear bumpers, less chrome trim, small wing on the trunk lid, dual exhaust pipes, and the ‘RSi’ logo under the right taillight. It rides on OZ Superturismo wheels, identical to the ones equipping the Beetle RSi, yet slightly bigger.
Uprated brakes, sportier suspension, and fewer inches under its belly would’ve been other defining traits of a hypothetical RSi version of the Phaeton, together with a punchy engine. Here, Volkswagen would have had a lot of options, considering that their dead flagship sedan used to share its underpinnings with the Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT, Continental Flying Spur, and Porsche Panamera.
Nevertheless, it did come with a 6.0-liter W12 that produced 420 ps (414 hp / 309 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque, and 450 ps (444 hp / 331 kW) and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) in its later years. Both of them had a top speed electronically capped at 250 kph (155 mph), and the punchier model was capable of accelerating to 100 kph (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds, two tenths of a second quicker than its predecessor. The famous 5.0-liter V10 TDI diesel was also offered in the Phaeton, with 313 ps (309 hp / 230 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft).
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