The W12 Syncro, introduced at the Tokyo International motor show in 1997 was the first stage of a 5-year-long project created around the new 5.6 litre Volkswagen W12 engine.
Ferdinand Piëch, chairman of the Volkswagen group was responsible for commissioning Italdesign Giugiaro to take on a project aiming to enhance the performance of the new engine developed in Wolfsburg, the W12.
“For once – explained Giorgetto Giugiaro – I did not concentrate on the body when designing this prototype: I put together a casing, a shell around the central engine, which I left on view to emphasise its importance and enhance performance levels“.
