Volkswagen is aiming to re-awaken the spirit of 60s America with a modern take on the classic dune buggy. The all-electric concept will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
VW's effort is by no means the first electric dune buggy we've seen – Venturi hit the Paris Motor Show in 2010 with the America concept and Bruce Meyers celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Manx in 2014 with an electric-powered version of his iconic dune buggy.
But VW manufactured the vehicles that were sacrificed to provide the chassis for many a dune buggy in the 1960s – the Volkswagen Beetle, or Bug. So maybe it's fitting that VW should choose to demonstrate the versatility of the company's modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform, which we first saw in the company's I.D. concepts a while back (including the Buzz and the Crozz), with an all-electric dune buggy concept.
"The concept of the fully electric buggy is based on the vehicles that were created in the 1960s in California," said VW. "Back then, the Beetle chassis served as the basis for these buggies; now, the MEB is proving to be just as flexible."
Like the original vehicles from the 1960s and 70s, the new concept rolls on large wheels and chunky tires, and requires the driver and buddies to hop over the bodywork to take their seats – no doors here. And you'd better hope for clear skies as there's no roof either.
Beyond those few details, VW isn't saying much else and has only released two teaser photos ahead of the 89th International Geneva Motor Show opens its doors on March 7. No doubt more will be revealed then.
Source: Volkswagen
