Modern cars aren’t much fun at slow speeds. There are exceptions, of course, like the always great Mazda Miata. But performance machines like the Porsche 911 and BMW M5 have become so capable that exploring their limits on public roads isn’t safe or practical. It is very good for the state of our infrastructure and the congestion it occupies.
Enter TBug. With squishy off-road tires, loads of suspension travel, and double-digit horsepower, this is a modern $149,000 recreation of original 1960s Volkswagen Baja Bugs. They’re made by upscale British company Twisted, known for their Land Rover Defenders. Twisted turns 25 this year, and while launching the company in North America, it has been able to lead the TBug on the right track. Although it’s unfathomably expensive for a Beetle, it has one of the highest fun-to-speed ratios I’ve ever seen in a car.
| Quick specifications | Twisted TBug |
| engine | Rebuilt 1776cc air-cooled flat-four |
| Output | 80 hp (estimated) |
| Price as tested | $149,000 |
The Baja Bug is an icon of Southern California. Born out of the dune buggy culture of the late 1960s and in response to VW-based cars like the Myers Manx, the Baja model of chopped fenders, flared fenders and large all-terrain tires emerged as an aesthetic choice as much as a functional one. Many Baja Bugs leave their rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-four completely exposed, turning a nice people’s car into something purposeful and rebellious. As of 2017, Volkswagen claimed that Beetle-based cars had won the Baja 1000 more times than any other model.
Five thousand five hundred miles away in Yorkshire, England, Twisted founder Charles Fawcett stared at Baja Bug posters on his sister’s bedroom wall when he was a child. He was fascinated by the pastel landscapes of the Pacific and the fun-loving car culture of California in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Two decades later, while Fossett was running off-road driver training programs for Land Rover Defender owners, he identified a niche in making SUVs more refined and acceptable on the road. Without destroying their rugged character. He began manufacturing and selling parts as a side project, and soon began producing entire Defenders under the “Twisted” moniker.
Photo by: twisted
“At the time, no one was doing it,” Fawcett told me at the company’s North American launch. “We were first.”
Twisted prides itself on restraint and attention to detail. Their designs appear stock or perhaps OEM-plus, though they do have modern electronics like Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and hi-fi sound systems. Getting the perfect door-close click on a Defender can take 12 hours of adjustment, but it’s worth it, explains sales manager Rob McDougal. Target is always better than new; For example, speaker covers under convoluted car seats are vibration dampened to avoid annoying noises from glass or metal.
Twisted’s primary focus remains the Defender, producing around 25 examples a year at its factory in North Yorkshire, but the company is branching out with its own ‘special projects’ line. There’s the Suzuki Jimny, which is unfortunately not available in the US, and now this Bahamian Gold Bug. Twisted plans to manufacture about five TBugs a year to buyers’ specifications, sourcing rust-free cars from the western United States and giving them the full Baja treatment.
Photo by: twisted
“At the time, no one was doing it. We were the first.
The TBug is powered by an all-new 1,776 cc air-cooled flat-four engine with twice the power of the original Beetle – about 80 horsepower. It had machined barrels and pistons, a forged and counterbalanced crankshaft, and dual Weber carburetors. This bug runs a long-travel suspension at all four corners, with an independent rear suspension instead of the original swing axle.
I opened the door and jumped inside, immediately smelling fresh leather. Not the chemically treated stuff you get in a new car, but the rich, heady scent of a special Scottish flock. The seats are plush, and the seating position is comfortable for this lanky reporter. By turning the key and waving the T-shifter to ensure I’m in neutral, the flat four belts buzz into life before I settle into a smooth mechanical hum at idle.
The floor-hinged clutch grabs near the top of its travel, and I bounce down the pit lane in first gear. I follow the Monticello Motor Club’s road course, pushing the Bug’s four-speed into second and then third, warming up the gearbox and my brain. It takes about one turn to find a rhythm with a new-old car I’ve never driven before, and a track I was on once, three years ago, in an electric sedan with eight times the horsepower of the Bug.
Photo by: twisted
By the second lap, I feel more confident. I slammed on the upgraded brakes, pointed the Bug’s unassisted steering and BFGoodrich tires toward the top cones, and headed straight toward the curb. The “bug” leans on the shock absorbers and its soft sidewalls, but it goes where I tell it to. The back end comes out nicely. I counter-steer and add throttle, and the engine’s hum becomes a thunderous roar. The trainer next to me giggles as we repeat this dance over the next several corners.
At one point, I looked at the speedometer. We’re going 40 miles per hour.
It was over very quickly. I only did a few golden hour laps in the TBug, but it was enough for me to get comfortable with the car and explore its lower limits. I wasn’t able to try it on a loose surface, where it would probably be more naughty. But I came away thinking this might be the antidote to modern high-performance cars.
At one point, I looked at the speedometer. We’re going 40 miles per hour.
Nirvana driving, at least for me, isn’t about anxiety-inducing zero-to-60 sprints or insanely fast times. It’s a state of flow, feeling in sync with the car and maybe learning something in the process. The cars I enjoy most are the ones that make this case available in the real world.
The Baja Bug is a great teacher of rear-engined dynamics. Since everything happens as if in slow motion, you have a rhythm to react, feel the weight transfer through exaggerated body movements and catch slides before they turn into a spin. The car isn’t fast in the way some people describe the Porsche 911, but it will show you the extra understeer if you let it.
Where I live on the East Coast, the more winding country roads are full of houses and full of potholes. You are as likely to encounter a horse trailer as you are to encounter an unobstructed line across a corner. It’s a fun and scenic drive, but it’s not a place you want to go particularly quickly.
Photo by: twisted
Such roads beg the question: What is the best car to travel at 40 mph? The answer may be the Baja Bug.
As with any old car, the TBug has some problems. The shifter is a bit clunky. The cabin smells like fuel when you’re in it. And I can’t imagine it being very safe by modern standards. But when you drive it, none of that really matters.
The bigger problem: Is any old Volkswagen, no matter how good, worth $150,000? Maybe not. If you weren’t so concerned with perfect fit and finish, you could probably build something just as efficient and enjoyable for a lot less. But I can’t imagine that Twisted would have trouble finding five customers a year for this, nor can I imagine that anyone who buys TBug will regret it.
After all, who wouldn’t want to have that much fun without going over the speed limit?
Photo by: twisted
