First the Landies - and now the Beetles. If you’ve heard of Twisted at all, you’ll know they're the Yorkshire Land Rover obsessives who will make you a classic Defender that’s not just better than brand new, but will match your imagination of what a Defender might be. Now Twisted have turned their attention to the VW Beetle. Specifically the 1970s trend for Baja Bugs, chopped front and rear, capable of unlikely off-road feats. Twisted’s version is called the TBug, and with their reputation for the best, this isn’t going to be cheap, as we’ll find out. It will be huge fun.
We’re still gazing at the size - just look at them - of those tyres. Off-roading was part of the concept of the original Baja Bug, taking a plentifully available Beetle, jacking it up with rugged suspension and setting off across the dunes. With Twisted’s engineering background in remaking Defenders, the off-road bit of this is going to be rather better than that engineered by Californian surfers more than 50 years ago. Perhaps a little closer to the Baja Bugs that competed - and still do - in the Mexican adventure that is the Baja 1000 endurance off-road race.
TBug: Made to order
Twisted will make your TBug exactly the way you want it. Origins though will always be the same: a 1960s-80s air-cooled Beetle, stripped down and then rebuilt from chassis up, each component tested and strengthened. Off-road adventures are encouraged by fitting long-travel suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and of course those beefy BF Goodrich tyres mounted on tasty EMPI Baja alloys. Bodywork is chopped as it was on the originals, with flat-four engines now exposed and rebuilt to offer twice the Beetle’s basic power.
And in some ways, basic is exactly what the TBug remains. There is no transplanted Porsche engine here and final output is still likely to be less than 100 bhp. But that’s to miss the point. As Twisted themselves put it: "It’s about attitude. The connection between driver, machine and terrain that comes from thoughtful engineering and chunky BFGs providing the grip. Upgraded braking systems provide the confidence."
Bothered about what’s inside? Anyone who’s seen a Twisted Defender will know that hand-stitched leather is a popular option - executed with all the precision that Twisted apply to their mechanical modifications. But it’s all up to you. We like the look of the wood-rimmed steering wheel on Twisted’s first-build TBugs, but what more do you need? We’d ask for everything to be wipe clean so that dune jumping or mud-plugging won’t at all harm what’s inside. But you can have interior LED lighting. Naturally.
Want one? Of course you do. We asked Twisted for a base price so that you can start saving for your TBug. They tell us that it all depends on specification but advise that - deep breath - £95,000 is a sensible budget. Honestly, you don’t need that kitchen extension. You do need a Twisted TBug.
Next up: The best German car brands.
