VW Built Its Own Baja Bug Concepts

Volkswagen has teased us with multiple Baja Bug concept cars, but it has never built one for mass production.

Car Talk, Autos Nov 10, 2025 0 7 Add to Reading List

The Baja Bug, a Volkswagen Beetle with lifted suspension, off-road tires, and rally-ready upgrades such as a roll cage and skid plates, has been a tradition in the off-road racing scene for more than half a century. The first Beetle dirt racer is said to date back to 1968, when Gary Emory of Parts Obsolete invented the dune-hopper as a low-cost alternative to building a beach buggy. The Baja Bug first saw competition soon thereafter in the Mexican 1000, driven by Dave Deal, a California cartoonist known for his exaggerated automotive illustrations. Some readers would know his work as a character designer for Pixar's Cars.

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