A set of slightly bigger alloy wheels, a small boot spoiler and a discreet badge on the boot are the only external signs that the W8 Passat is something more than your everyday car. That badge indicates the mid-size VW is powered by a most unusual engine that, in some ways, tends towards the radial designs once popularly used in piston-engined aircraft. The W8 engine’s configuration means it is able to fit into an engine bay that would be out of the realms of possibility for a regular V8. All very clever, but what does it really mean for the consumer - especially when the Passat W8’s pricetag hovers around $100,000?