- A sporty spinoff of the new Up! hatchback, the Buggy Up! draws inspiration from classic '60s dune buggies based on the original VW Beetle.
- Virtually the entire cockpit, including the audio/infotainment controls, is waterproof.
- The open-air body has been completely redesigned.
FRANKFURT, Germany — A sporty spinoff of the new Up! hatchback, the Buggy Up! draws inspiration from classic '60s dune buggies based on the original VW Beetle.
Displayed at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show here alongside its more prosaic siblings, the Buggy Up! commands attention, starting with its Hot Orange paint scheme and matte-gray bumpers and sills.
The vehicle itself doesn't look much like the hatchback. VW chopped the top and eliminated the doors, creating open side sills. It also redesigned the front and rear ends, added a fold-down tailgate, lowered the car by 0.8 inch and fitted 18-inch wheels and tires.
The two-seat cockpit, with its orange-and-gray color scheme and beach-ready theme, is pure Southern California. The seats are coated in neoprene and VW has installed drain plugs to prevent flooding. There's an iPhone/iPod dock and the controls have been waterproofed. The entire infotainment module, which features integrated active speakers, can be removed from the car for on-the-beach parties.
Inside Line says: An appropriate choice for a company with deep roots in the dune buggy tradition.
Add A Comment »
jrhoglund1 says:
10:56 AM, 11/16/2011
looks like great fun.....but why get excited they will never build it!!
ttbuyer says:
06:45 AM, 09/18/2011
Cute, but pointless: like the new (new) Beetle.
agnh says:
05:46 AM, 09/17/2011
This with RWD and the turbo 2.0 would be very fun. Regardless, it's too much of a narrowly focused niche vehicle, hard to imagine a big company like VW actually building it.
rayzor says:
09:11 AM, 09/16/2011
Love it! Would be perfect as resort area rental cars...Hawaii comes to mine...Yes!! Can take it out for "round island" drive!
angry_mushroom says:
04:02 PM, 09/15/2011
Hmmm... Still front wheel drive?
isend2c says:
01:14 PM, 09/15/2011
Let's get the UP GT over here with it's massive 100HP and see how that goes first.
k55 says:
10:04 AM, 09/15/2011
With some more practical doors/windows it could be a modern "914" or really a "Del Sol" . Love it .