MALIBU, Calif. — When it comes to its iconic Beetle, Volkswagen is finding new ways to tap into feel-good nostalgia of its heyday when humble bug was cheap transportation for Boomers.
VW created a turbocharged performance Beetle, the GSR, as an homage to those who dared to once race them. It is going to put out an edition that feels a little hippy dippy, the Denim.
Now comes a version meant to feel faintly reminiscent of the iconic dune buggy. The Beetle Dune, as it is called, offers a few gentle reminders of the Baja Bug past — though it's still far from the real thing. The coupe is already on sale. We tested the convertible version coming to showrooms this fall.
If anyone buys a Beetle Dune with the hope they will be tearing over sand dunes when the weekend hits, they will come away disappointed. The Dune has 0.4 inches of extra ground clearance and is 0.6 inches wider than a standard Beetle. It has black wheel-arch extensions. Those features alone are hardly what your average desert rat would need to whip over rough terrain.
The Baja Bugs of yore were original Beetles converted to have sharply cut-away fenders, exposed engines and wide, grippy tires. Often, they were fitted with extra lights for off-roading at night. They looked like angry insects.
The new, refined Beetle Dune's changes here are cosmetic. The front end has a wide air intake — black, with an aluminum border — with fog lights on either side. There is what appears to be a skid plate, which typically protects cars' undersides when they run over rocks.
There are fancy 18-inch wheels that really dress it up. Just so no one mistakes that this is a different Beetle, the Dune name appears on the lower edge on the doors and on the sill as you step inside. It comes in only three colors: white, black and the one we drove in Sandstorm Yellow.
In the one we tried, it had cool orange stitching in the seats, steering wheel and the gear shift knob.
Since the Dune is a style play, we had forgotten what a joy it can be to drive this latest generation Beetle. Yes, we still can't help but make comparisons to the 1972 Beetle droptop that we inherited from our father. (It was one of his greatest joys.) And yes, we tested the new Dune on a picture-perfect day in the hills above seaside Malibu — maybe one of the best places to enjoy an open convertible in the country.
But there's no getting around it: The compact's 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine and its 170 horsepower provided quite a load of pep. On twisty roads, the Dune was no sports car, but it maneuvered nicely despite the Beetle's inherit, traditional tubbiness.
It feels dressy, classy and about as far from the bare-bones Baja Bug as one can get.
What Stands Out
Nostalgia: Remember the dune buggy. Well ...
Convertible: Ah! Top-down driving on a summer day
Style: A class act
2017 Volkswagen Beetle Dune convertible
What? An edition of the Volkswagen Beetle meant to evoke memories of the Baja Bug
When? Convertible comes in the fall
Where? Made in Puebla, Mexico
How much? Likely to be priced somewhat higher than the coupe version, which is $23,995 to start plus a destination charge of $820
How long? 14 feet
What makes it go? A 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
How thirsty? Not rated yet, but the coupe version gets 25 miles per gallon in city driving, 34 mpg on the highway and 28 combined
Overall? Stylish and cool, top up or down
