And take something a little bigger, says anamit sen. And
not just bigger, but at least two sizes bigger. like the phaeton

Sir…Sir… aap chalaayenge nahi? I opened my eyes and blearily looked up at who was trying to wake me up. When I’m in deep slumber I can, sometimes, vehemently, even violently, object to being woken up. This was different though – I had fallen asleep at the back of a car while I was supposed to be evaluating it. It wasn’t just any car that I had fallen asleep in though – it was the Volkswagen Phaeton, the top of the line model in VW’s range of cars.
A luxury car from a manufacturer of people’s cars! Seems incongruous at first but the Phaeton makes a strong case for it’s self. After all, it is based on the same platform as the Audi A8. I mean, take a look at the amount of space inside the car – it’s like a blinking drawing room, you know. Leg space, arm space, headspace – name it and the rear section has it covered. It’s more than space of course – the seats are upholstered in leather a la ‘Vienna Classic’. There is more too – Eucalyptus wood décor adorns the upper door trim strips, the top of the centre console and the cup holders. Talk of opulence – I even had my own AC, set to my personal temperature preference in my own personal space. Can you blame me for falling asleep?
Having wiped away the cobwebs of sleep, I gaze around my cockpit – I’m more a commander of a ship than the driver of a mere car is. The multi-function four-spoke steering wheel is leather wrapped and as I turn the key, it moves into place, adjusting itself for reach and angle as it does so, and then I start the engine.
As it rumbles into life, you know – you just know – there is something major under the bonnet. And this is just the 3.2 V6. What will the W12 be like? Anyway, I force myself to concentrate on what’s next – switching on the AC. But where are the vents? Aha – selecting the right knob on the console to my left, I switch on the AC and the ‘wooden’ panels move up and slide in, revealing the AC vents. Nice!
I engage D on the Tiptronic box and exert gentle but firm pressure on the accelerator – and my ship sets sail and glides forth towards roads anew. The steering is well weighted and makes light work of turning four huge 255/45 R 18-sized rubbers.
The gearbox goes from first to second at just under 3000rpm and second to third at 3000rpm, third to fourth... I kick down and the engine revs up to the limited 6500rpm and the car surges forward. We – Phaeton and I – come up onto a bit of bad road but the air suspension has a continuous, speed-dependent electronic damping control which sees off the bad patch without trouble. I had fears about the car’s bulk – view it from the front three-quarter angle and you will know what I mean – but on the road, my fears were allayed. I could drive on but I really must return this car, as I need to get back in time to drive the Touareg. So it’s homeward bound again, and the Phaeton is safely returned to its showroom.