This Near-300bhp VW Passat CC V6 Is A £5600 Bargain

While the new VW Arteon - which we drove for the first time this week - is technically an all-new model, it does have something of a predecessor. And that predecessor is the surprisingly pretty Passat CC.

Like the Arteon, the recently culled Passat CC is quite the looker. It is to the Passat what the Mercedes CLS is to the E-Class - it’s more curvaceous, more imposing and much more desirable. It also has something the Arteon doesn’t have: a V6 version.

Yep, the pokiest motor VW has slung into the Arteon is a 276bhp, 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four, but at the top end of the Passat CC range you could have a big ol’ 3.6-litre V6. Well, technically a narrow angle ‘VR6’ with staggered pistons and a single cylinder bank, but let’s not get bogged down in pedantic details: all you need to know is it’s a muscular, sweet-sounding six-pot that’s good for nearly 300bhp (291bhp) and 260lb ft of torque.

The V6 is hooked up to an automatic gearbox, feeding the power to all four wheels. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds, which is bang on the time of the fastest Arteon.

The best thing about these cars is the prices. So long as you can find one (incredibly, Howmanyleft.com claims there are just 10 on the roads in the UK), you really won’t have to pay much. This 2008 example is a part exchange clearance car, and as such the trader selling it has it up for just £5750.

Yes, it does have 122,000 miles on the clock, and despite the respectable performance figures this is no sports saloon (or ‘coupe’ as VW labels it), but who cares. Under £6000 is an utter bargain, and that creamy VR6 is going to be gem even slung over the front wheels of a big wafty barge like this.

Tempted?