This Is One Twisted Creation You Have To See To Believe

If you’ve heard of Twisted, the mention of that name will conjure up images of tough-looking classic Defenders modified with aggressive wheel and tire packages and the kind of interior trim you expect on a luxury car. But the UK-based outfit has thrown us a real curveball with its latest special project, a modern take on the classic Baja Bug.

The first Baja Bugs were created in Southern California in the late 1960s and named after the legendary off-road race in which VW Beetle-based Meyers Manx buggies proved the capability and traction of the VW’s air-cooled engine.

Also: Twisted Gives Suzuki Jimny A Fancy Leather Interior And A Turbo, For A Price

Instead of going to the expense and hassle of swapping all of the Beetle’s parts into a Meyers fiberglass tub, Bug fans simply cut away the original car’s bodywork and lifted the suspension to create a handy off-road weapon. One whose distinctive style resulted in thousands of Beetles getting chopped in the 1970s and Tamiya shrinking the idea with its now iconic Sand Scorcher RC car.

Twisted’s TBug follows the same basic visual template laid down by those original Baja bugs. The fenders are cut high for extra clearance, the frunk lid is shortened, and a new nose panel containing two close-set (now LED) headlights contributes to that unforgettable Baja look. But the look is only complete because the rear bodywork is also cut away to reveal the air-cooled flat four.

Photos Twisted

2X power upgrade

Twisted says it’s doubled the power of the boxer engine, though don’t get too excited because there are still fewer than 80 horses (79 PS) at your right foot’s command. Other mods include a heavy-duty suspension upgrade to massively increase the amount of daylight under the floorpan, and a fat set of BF Goodrich tires on custom wheels.

This being a Twisted product though, the TBug places an equal amount of effort on upgrading the Beetle‘s interior, which could be trimmed to satisfy the whims of anyone who ordered one. How much they’ll have to pay or how many will be built, Twisted isn’t saying, presumably because it’s trying to work out the demand and feasibility at this stage.

But given that almost any donor Bug is going to need a thorough restoration before the Baja magic can be applied, and that many of the company’s Defender builds seem to cost upwards of £150,000 ($200,000), you know it’s going to be expensive.

Twisted’s Previous Twists

This isn’t Twisted’s first attempt to try its hand at something that isn’t a Defender. It already offers custom boat conversions and has modified a few Suzuki Jimnys for around $62k. And Twisted isn’t the only company that made its name reimagining one particular model, but has had thoughts of branching out.

A few years back, Singer Design’s Mazen Fawaz told me that he and founder Rob Dickinson had kicked around several ideas for non-911 builds that they’d like to pursue, but he wouldn’t tell me what they were, and we’ve yet to see anything other than Porsche 911 builds. To be fair, Singer is still doing a great job of constantly surprising us with new takes on 964 builds, but what would you like to see the company tackle?

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