Buy A 295BHP V6 VW Passat For A Quarter Of The Price Of A New 1.5L

The new Volkswagen Passat is a very pleasant car. It’s comfy, spacious, efficient, and deeply relaxing. What it isn’t, however, is particularly exciting, and with VW seemingly abandoning the concept of the hot Passat a couple of generations ago, it’s likely to stay that way.

As these things tend to, that leads us to the classified ads, and VW’s last attempt at a proper high-performance Passat: the R36. Launched in 2007, it was the range-topper for the sixth-generation Passat (the B6, if we want to start delving into the muddy waters of chassis codes).

It was powered by Volkswagen’s venerable VR6 engine, in naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre form – the biggest the narrow-angle six ever went. In this form, it was good for 295bhp and 258lb ft of torque, sent to all four wheels via a quick-shifting DSG automatic. You could have it as a saloon, but obviously, we’re looking at the estate, because who doesn’t love a fast wagon?

In longroof form, the R36 would hit 62mph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds and – because it was a fast German car – top out at 155mph. These figures were pretty much on par with the contemporary V8-powered Audi S4 Avant, and for a good few grand less.

It’s even more of a bargain now, though – while prices have started to creep up as the R36 gets recognised as a left-field modern classic, they’re still pretty tempting. Take this one we’ve found – a 2010 car with 101,000 miles. It’s a Japanese import, which is a very good thing, because European B6 Passats have some well-documented rust issues.

It’s only had one MOT test since arriving in the UK, which showed no advisories – not a guarantee of a trouble-free car, but it’s nice to know. It also looks to be on a newish set of Pirellis, which is always a decent sign.

Naturally, being an import, there’ll be a few niggles: the infotainment system is all in Japanese (an aftermarket unit should sort that) and, while we can’t see in the images, the speedo presumably has kph as its predominant units. You also have to factor in the thirst of a 3.6-litre V6 and ensure the DSG ’box has been serviced on the dot.

On the other hand, though, most onlookers will just see a used Passat estate, but you’ll have something capable of embarrassing a lot of sports cars off the line. It still feels fresh, too. The B6 Passat platform is almost 20 years old, but it comes from an era when VW interiors were crisp, sensibly laid out and very high quality. Those leather and Alcantara sports seats look delightful, too.

The price? It’s listed at £9990 – just over a quarter of the cost of the most basic new Passat, and with twice the power and a far more charismatic engine. We certainly won’t see a car like the R36 from VW again, meaning values are probably only heading one way, too.