Stock Bugs weigh about 2000 pounds [early ones are maybe 10% lighter]. Well built Baja Bugs weigh about 2500 ponds. It is easy to load either up with 500 to 700 pounds of people and good stuff…

In the case of driving up a steep sand dune, many would simply “dig-in” and get stuck. Sandrails are ultra lightweight vehicles often weighing in at 800 and 1500 pounds (≈363 and ≈680 kg).

The Manx uses a blaring, 90-horsepower evolution of the Volkswagen’s air-cooled, 1.6-liter flat-four engine. That’s 30 more than a stock 1971 Beetle, yet the buggy’s 1250-pound weight makes it about 550 pounds lighter. Most of that weight is below the driver.

If you can lift it it does not weigh 500kg (half a tonne). I would estimate it at around 200kg with the glass in, so more like 180kg completely stripped out.

Features

Where as Class 11 is the Bugs that have very strictly limited rules that allow virtually no modifications, Class 5 allows almost anything as long as it still has a VW engine in it and VW style suspension. 1970 VW Baja Bug, street legal with current CA plate/registration.

The Baja Bug is an original Volkswagen Beetle that has been converted to drive off-road. They are mainly used in the open desert, on beaches, and in sand dunes. You often spot them in forests and wooded areas. A Baja Bug driver is keen on adventure.

1969 was the first year for independent rear suspension, making them and later years a great choice for a baja bug. The famous 1600CC Dual Port VW Type 1 Engine came out in 1971 making the later cars the most powerful from the factory. 1971 was also the first year for the Super Beetle.

A properly built/maintaned bug(street or off road) can be just as reliable as any other car. I have read of many many people driving there bugs on 1000+ mile trips with no problems. A baja can do it too. It doesnt have to be radical to be a good off roader.

A Beetle with a spare tire that fits in the trunk and leaves space for groceries and luggage is a Super Beetle. A Beetle with a tire that takes up all the trunk space will be a standard Beetle.

The easiest way to tell is to open the trunk (in the front) and check to see if the spare tire is laying flat* in a recess in the floor. Another way is to look behind the front wheel. If you see a large vertical spring then that car is a Super Beetle.

The insect world is famous for its Olympian power-lifters, but the horned dung beetle (Onthophagus Taurus) takes the gold. A mere 10 millimeters long, the beetle can pull up to 1141 times its own body weight-the equivalent of an average man lifting two fully-loaded 18-wheeler trucks.

The main difference between the VW Beetle and Super Beetle is the front suspension which provides a better driving experience. Furthermore, the Super Beetle is longer which results in more storage space because the spare tire is located at the front of the car.

Found on eBay is this twin-engined, 4-door VW Beetle classic. By twin-engine we mean one engine at each end of this unique VW bug. The story is that the original owner created the dual-purpose Beetle to tow low-mileage cars during the sixties.

**Figure based on a stock 1975 Volkswagen Super Beetle valued at $9,600 with OH rates with $100/300K liability/UM/UIM limits. Actual costs vary depending on the coverage selected, vehicle condition, state and other factors.

Volkswagen Beetle Type 1

Data based on 148 auction sales. note: The images shown are representations of the 1971 Volkswagen Beetle and not necessarily vehicles that have been bought or sold at auction….Volkswagen Models.

**Figure based on a stock 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle valued at $11,100 with OH rates with $100/300K liability/UM/UIM limits. Actual costs vary depending on the coverage selected, vehicle condition, state and other factors.

1971

Can beetles bite? The simple answer is, yes, they can. Beetles have chewing mouthparts so, technically, they can bite.