In addition, since VW didn’t have anything usable in which to test the W10, it probably didn’t have anything else besides the Phaeton in which to offer it. Later vehicles may have been suitable or even ideal for such a configuration, but another theory is that since the Volkswagen Group was experimenting with several engine types like the V10 and V12 turbodiesels, the W10 was simply overlooked.
It’s also worth remembering that the 493-hp V10 Gallardo arrived in the early 2000s, and that engine proved to be fantastic, making further W10 development all but pointless. We can’t find weight figures for the 5.0 V10, but it was likely lighter.
Will we ever see the engine in production? Probably not, but who knows? Bugatti could be the ideal brand for an unusual 10-cylinder, although it has since been reported that the Chiron’s W16 will likely be succeeded by a hybrid V8. Unfortunately, Volkswagen’s days of experimenting with big engines are all but over, and the W10 will likely remain no more than a fascinating footnote in the annals of engineering history. Pity.