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2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB Spied With T6.1 Body Panels, Rear Drum Brakes

Revealed to generally positive critical acclaim in March 2022 solely in short-wheelbase form, the ID. Buzz will be available stateside from 2024 with a longer wheelbase. The carparazzi have finally spied a prototype of the seven-seat variant destined for the U.S., but somewhat curiously of a vehicle that’s been already revealed, this fellow is a T6.1 look-alike.
2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market 16 photos
Photo: CarPix
2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB for the U.S. market
T6.1 is the internal designation of the sixth-generation Transporter after February 2019 when it received a mid-cycle refresh. Updates include minor styling changes that include the spruced-up grille and lights, electric power steering, as well as the Passat’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster.

Pictured with unpainted bumpers and the body shell in white, the prototype flaunts disc brakes in the front and drums out back. An OG stopping technology that’s been proven back in 1899 by Gottlieb Daimler, drum brakes are very different from discs. Shoes can be made larger than pads, exerting more stopping force than an equal-diameter disc brake. It’s also worth mentioning they’re cheaper to manufacture and they last a bit longer than the equivalent disc brakes thanks to the increased contact area.

The ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 crossover also use drums for their rear axles, produced by Continental. In the case of EVs, drums have no residual brake drag. The shoes are pulled open by the internal springs, helping driving range. No residual torque also helps, and drum brakes are generally immune to rust because they’re pretty much sealed off from the road environment.

Pictured with two rows rather than three rows of seats, the Volkswagen Transporter-inspired test mule sits lower to the ground than a combustion-engined T6.1 because that makes the car more aerodynamic, maximizing the driving range. Speaking of which, the Wolfsburg-based automaker failed to mention the driving range of the Euro-spec short-wheelbase ID. Buzz.

Volkswagen did mention an 82-kWh pack with a net capacity of 77 kWh and a rear-mounted electric motor that develops 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet (310 Nm) of torque. Top speed? Make that 90 mph (145 kph).
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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