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VW Beetle Dune offroader teased


With the softroader segments booming around the world, there's probably no car that's not being weighed up as too unlikely a model to get the treatment. Volkswagen's Beetle has some history in that field as the underpinnings for decades of 'dune buggies' -- with even the military building some as desert patrol and fast attack vehicle for the SAS, US Navy Seals and other troops.

VW is again trumpeting that heritage in the name of the Beetle Dune concept that will be unveiled at Detroit motor show, with a 5cm higher ground clearance and a ski rack suggesting it's getting set to tackle the slopes. An earlier Dune concept appeared at the LA show in 2000, but VW admits it was "not very realistic (and) the 2014 Dune Concept is a lot more feasible ... potential for a new production version of the sportiest Beetle".

However it's not getting the benefit of all-wheel drive, and instead is based on the limited-edition R-Line Beetle sold overseas with a 157kW turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels with the benefit of an electronic diff lock system to add traction, and a strut-type front and multilink rear suspension.