Like wildfires, rumours can start from the smallest – or strangest – of sparks. A Christmas card published by the Volkswagen Group shows Santa at the wheel of an open-top dune buggy. That’s all it took to create speculation that the company is working on such a thing.
It would seem, however, that this possibility is more than just speculation. According to Autocar website, the card is a teaser from VW that it wants to produce a modern version of the famous Meyers Manx model, and that this new edition would be built on the new MEB platform developed by Volkswagen. The reports also states that the concept version is being put together in an R&D centre in Germany, and the company is giving serious consideration to creating a production version.
In true dune buggy fashion, the body would sit very close to the ground, the windshield would be fold-down and a roll bar would help prevent rollovers, and the whole thing would ride on oversized tires.
For Volkswagen to actually go ahead with this project would be a bold move, because this is the very definition of a niche vehicle. At the same time, if no one else is doing it, the potential is immense. Another motivator for VW would be to give the MEB electric-vehicle platform a showcase to demonstrate its great versatility.
Word is that a concept version of the dune buggy could be shown at the 2019 Geneva auto show.