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Almost Stock 1970 Volkswagen Beetle to Run in This Year's Baja 1000 Race

The original Volkswagen Beetle has a very close connection to the dune buggy vehicle type as the simplicity and availability of the model made it the ideal donor for the conversion.
ProjectBaja VW Beetle 5 photos
Photo: ProjectBaja.com
ProjectBaja VW BeetleProjectBaja VW BeetleProjectBaja VW BeetleProjectBaja VW Beetle
With their air-cooled rear-mounted engine and robust front suspension, many Bugs ended up becoming buggies over the years, lending their name as well as an important part of their history in the process.

Even though the BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000® race takes place mostly in the desert, it's nothing like a stroll on the beach. That means any vehicle that plans to enter the competition and actually get to the end of the 1,134 miles (1,825 km) would have to go through some serious preparation.

This 1970 Volkswagen Beetle you see here hopes to reach the finish line in this year's edition of the grueling race which starts next week, November 14 in Ensenada and ends four days later in Baja California Sur.

It'll be intered in Class 11 by a team of passionate petrol heads and racers led by industrial designer Josh McGuckin, with help from Volkswagen of America, Inc. But the best thing about this entry is that the Beetle will go through minimum modifications ahead of the start of the race exactly one week from now.

The 1.6-liter air-cooled boxer engine will be providing the power that gets sent to the rear wheels through a Type 1 transaxle with a limited slip differential imposed by the class regulations. The rear suspension has been buffed with a heavy-duty torsion bar, new Fox dampers, and reinforced trailing arms.

The fuel tank was replaced with a 22-gallon safety cell and skid plates were added front and rear. The Beetle also received a roll cage to protect the crew that now sits in racing bucket seats with full harnesses. Additional lighting was installed for nighttime driving as well as communication and navigation equipment inside the cabin.

“For decades, Volkswagen Beetle vehicles, Beetle-based racers, and Dune Buggies have been competing in this epic event,” said Pietro Zollino, Chief Communications Officer, North American Region, Volkswagen. “We felt it appropriate to sponsor this team of eager enthusiasts who are following in the wheel tracks of Volkswagen desert racers over the past 50 years. We’re looking forward to tracking ProjectBaja.com’s progress over the course of the event and wish them luck!”

Win or lose, this Volkswagen will probably be one of the most authentic vehicles taking part in the race, so it's definitely a gain for the competition.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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