Who’s not familiar with that woolly feeling
in the stomach triggered by a police car in the rear-view mirror? Of course,
this time we don’t have a real situation. But the scene is nonetheless eerily
realistic, even with the offbeat VW ‘Rebell’ Buggy, its snarling boxer engine
and oversized rear tyres. After all, the retro-look cruiser features large polizei
decals, a full-size light bar, and the requisite emergency kit stacked in an
aluminium container behind the seats; amazingly, it was retired from active
service only last year.
Part-time police commissioner Herr Struwe
is clad in a historically correct green uniform typical of the ’60s and ’70s
when beach buggies were relatively common even in conservative and catholic
parts of the Fatherland. He certainly has no pity for the ageing overweight
hippie at the wheel of the Arizona Orange Beetle Dune, a Beetle with a raised
ride height, chunky tyres and some styling tweaks to riff on retro beach-buggy
style. For now, the car we’re driving is still officially a concept, but the
Dune has been green-lighted for production, and will be offered as both a coupe
and – naturally – cabriolet.
The
Volkswagen Beetle Dune is a toughened-up version of the hatchback
Thankfully, the only real offence we’re
guilty of today is to celebrate the good old days when it never rained in
southern California and buggy and Beetle belonged together like no nukes and
free love.
The buggy boom began on the US West Coast
where the Beetle formed an ideal kit-car basis because it was cheap, easy to
convert and, thanks to its rear-engine layout, almost as competent off-road as
a proper four-wheel drive. True to the breed, our beach buggy is a much more
sure-footed sandpiper than its front-drive successor, which struggles for
traction in ankle-deep sand.
VW has been dithering about building the
Dune for a while. So why now? Matthias Zauner, the man in charge of Beetle
marketing, answers by reaching deep in his catchword collection. ‘Sportiness,
proximity to SUVs, authenticity, lifestyle, history, leisure-orientation,
emotion,’ he says. ‘The difference between the Dune and the base Beetle might
be almost exclusively visual, but the more self-assured stance, the redesigned
front and rear ends and the inspiring crossover character make this version
quite special.’
The
basic Beetle dashboard layout is largely retained for the Dune
Other possible derivatives include a
five-door hatchback, a pick-up, a fixed-head coupe, a sporty Bugster and, of
course, the much-loved Microbus.
Watching the up-market Dune and the one-off
police buggy rub shoulders is an open invitation to time-travel from the
no-airbags-and-no-ABS past to the electronically masterminded present and back.
The topless two-seater welcomes us with zero doors and as many side windows.
Its carb-fed 1.6-litre boxer engine produces just 50bhp, traction control is by
throttle only, and the sole assist for steering and brakes is provided by the
driver.
The high-quality, high-tech, high-price
contemporary cult car comes complete with dual-clutch DSG, electronic XDS diff
and stability control, a turbocharged 207bhp four, top infotainment boasting a
tablet-size touchscreen, LED headlights and polished 19-inch wheels. The 2016
model is the superior vehicle by a huge margin, no doubt about it. But in terms
of sheer grin-inducing presence, goose pimple-generating exhaust note and olde
worlde hands-on driving pleasure, less can be more.
Neat
dial pod lets you keep an eye on things, including turbo boost levels
The Dune will lose none of its appeal
during the transition from show car to brochure star. Just about the only two
items that require minor modifications are the rear ski and sandboard rack and
the matching oversize roof spoiler. To trim the price, the shiny 19-inch rims
pictured will be replaced by 18-inchers, and the elaborate in-dash Samsung
monitor must give way to VW’s own hardware from the Golf. The cute passenger
grab handle will also have to make way for the airbag. But the new bespoke
colour palette, the more up-market cabin trim and the marginally more generous
standard equipment remain.
