Volkswagen T5 Power Drift Luxury: the first KLASSEN VIP vehicle with a Porsche engine and Audi A8 running gear

The story of KLASSEN began not with an established production concept, but with a specific vehicle — the Volkswagen T5. Paul Klassen decided to turn it into an unconventional VIP vehicle with sports car performance and a separate passenger compartment. In the early 2010s, this was an unusual idea, as minibuses were generally seen as practical transport rather than expensive, bespoke vehicles.

In 2011, KLASSEN created this vehicle as its first major VIP project based on the Volkswagen T5. Within the company, it was named Power Drift Luxury — a reference to the combination of power and luxury. Today, this development is best understood not as a finished blueprint for modern KLASSEN vehicles, but as the first step towards a distinctive approach to creating luxury vehicles for travel.

Before the first VIP vehicle: years of exploration

From around 2000, KLASSEN experimented with converting buses used on regular passenger routes, creating more comfortable interiors. These attempts did not result in a market-ready product, but they gave the team valuable practical experience. It became clear that a public transport vehicle could not be transformed into a private vehicle simply by adding expensive materials and selected equipment. The entire perception of the space inside the vehicle needed to change.

For Paul Klassen, this was a period of exploration and learning. The earlier attempts showed that a conventional approach to bus conversion would not work if the goal was to create a truly private passenger compartment. It was necessary to rethink not only the trim, but also the vehicle's performance, passenger seating positions, interior layout, materials and overall purpose.

It was during this period that the objective behind the first major KLASSEN project took shape: to combine the practicality of the Volkswagen T5 with the qualities of a vehicle designed for special journeys. This was no longer simply another passenger transport conversion, but the creation of a vehicle with its own character, a separate passenger area and a carefully considered level of comfort.

Volkswagen T5 with a Porsche engine and Audi A8 technology

KLASSEN brought in the German tuning company MTM to help develop the Volkswagen T5. The project went beyond upgrading the interior: the vehicle needed technical capabilities that matched the new concept. An ordinary passenger minibus was to combine sports car performance with the comfort and privacy of a separate rear passenger compartment.

The vehicle received a Porsche engine producing more than 400 horsepower, while its running gear was adapted using technical solutions from the Audi A8. This was an unusual combination for a Volkswagen T5: the mechanical components delivered performance, while the interior provided comfort, quiet and the opportunity to enjoy privacy during a journey. In this way, the first KLASSEN VIP vehicle combined the qualities of a fast car with the possibilities of a luxurious passenger compartment.

The project name — Power Drift Luxury — reflected its central idea. In a later video account, Paul Klassen described it with the words Power trifft Luxus — “power meets luxury”. The Volkswagen T5 did indeed bring together two different concepts: sports car performance and a separate passenger compartment with a partition, individual seats and multimedia equipment. The vehicle was created for special journeys, business meetings and relaxation on the road.

The VIP interior of the first KLASSEN project: individual seats, a partition and multimedia equipment

2012: the first international presentation of the Volkswagen T5

The following year, Paul Klassen decided to present the vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. At the time, he was raising five children, and KLASSEN was still a small tuning company. For the team, this was an opportunity to showcase its own development at a major international exhibition for the first time, although there was no guarantee that the public and the press would immediately understand the concept.

In his video account, Paul Klassen recalls that in 2012, the automotive press remained the main source of publicity. Today, a new vehicle can be shared across social media within hours, but at that time, the attention of journalists at an international motor show could determine whether a project would be noticed beyond its exhibition stand.

At the Geneva Motor Show, the Volkswagen T5 was displayed next to the BRABUS stand — a company that already had an international reputation in premium tuning. According to Paul Klassen, this was both a challenge and an opportunity for KLASSEN: alongside an established brand, the company presented a vehicle with a Porsche engine, Audi A8 technical solutions and a separate VIP passenger compartment.

Reactions to the vehicle were mixed. Paul Klassen recalled that not everyone took the project seriously, and some people openly mocked both the vehicle and its creator. Yet the press attention had an impact: the first major KLASSEN development began to attract discussion beyond the exhibition itself. The vehicle might have raised doubts, but it could no longer go unnoticed.

The first KLASSEN VIP interior based on the Volkswagen T5

The photographs offer a closer look at the Volkswagen T5 interior: light-coloured leather, individual seats with diamond stitching, a centre console and side panels with integrated equipment. The passenger area was designed as a separate private space, with comfortable seats, tables, a multimedia system and functional modules for everyday use.

The interior's distinctive character came from its layout rather than excessive decoration. A partition with a screen separated the passenger area from the driver's position. Displays, speakers, holders and pull-out elements were integrated into the side panels, while dedicated lighting was fitted into the ceiling. This gave an ordinary Volkswagen T5 a different purpose — it became a private space for travel.

The interior combined light-coloured leather with dark gloss trim, geometric stitching, neatly integrated buttons, pull-out tables, storage compartments and glass holders. Crucially, these elements worked together as a single system: the interior was created as a coherent passenger space rather than a collection of individual expensive options.

From the first experiment to a distinctive approach

Viewed purely from a commercial perspective, this vehicle did not become a successful product or deliver quick results for KLASSEN. Paul Klassen later described the first development as a major mistake. Its significance, however, extends beyond sales: this was the vehicle in which the company tested how to combine performance, privacy and comfort in a VIP minibus.

The experience showed that a technically impressive vehicle also needs to make sense to the customer and be convenient for everyday use. Power and expensive materials were not the only things that mattered; a thoughtful interior layout, workmanship, functionality and the overall travel experience proved equally important.

From the first attempts to convert regular-service buses around 2000, through the Volkswagen T5 and the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, KLASSEN gradually developed its own approach to creating VIP vehicles. Its foundations were a bespoke interior, privacy, a partition, premium seating, multimedia equipment, specialised materials and attention to functional details. These solutions were still being tested in the first development, but it was this vehicle that set the direction for the work that followed.

Paul Klassen, founder of KLASSEN

Today, this Volkswagen T5 matters to KLASSEN not as a flawless product, but as the beginning of its own history in VIP vehicle conversions. It showed that even a small company can offer a new vision of what a vehicle can be when it is prepared to combine bold engineering with a thoughtfully designed passenger space.

Modern KLASSEN vehicles