Fascination: Meyers Manx 2.0 EV
Yesterday’s westerns
Meyer’s Manx 2.0 EV
© press-inform – the press office
The Meyers Max becomes reality. Not from Volkswagen, as expected, but from the successor company to the former cult buggy builder. It is scheduled to start in early 2023.
Three years ago, Volkswagen made its grand entrance at the Geneva Motor Show and then at Pebble Beach. The ID Buggy should show how variable the modular electrical kit from VW is. The green electric buggy made its big appearance in the media, but then disappeared into the drawer. Just to make his grand entrance two weeks ago in Malibu and then Pebble Beach. The Meyers Max 2.0 EV was one of the big stars of Monterey Car Week 2022. The design is strongly based on the historical models: large rear wheels, rear-wheel drive, space for four adventurous people and lots of good humor. “We are currently in the final testing phase,” explains company CEO Freeman Thomas, “in the first quarter of 2023 the first prototypes should be on the road.” Meyers Manx is the original fiberglass dune buggy kit car company, owned by Bruce Meyers was incorporated and is now owned by Phillip Sarofim’s Trousdale Ventures.
The scene in the Hollywood film “The Thomas Crown Affair” is almost as legendary as the classic from 1968 itself. The millionaire bon vivant Thomas Crown aka Steve McQueen gives the Meyers Manx Buggy one of the main automotive roles with a chase on the beach Film, which got a hardly worse remake about 30 years later with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. However, the cool Mayers Manx buggy with a strengthened six-cylinder boxer in the rear only appeared in the original film from the late 1960s. In funny Italo strips with Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill, too, the buggies sometimes played more than the supporting role. The beach hopper belonged perfectly to its time as a play mobile for the rich and beautiful. Company founder Bruce Meyers had thought of it differently. The thoroughbred surfer and builder of boards and boats wanted to convert the boring VW Beetles into cool fun vehicles for everyone – in the wild late sixties an alternative to powerful US limousines and the VW T1 surfer vehicle. To do this, Meyers took the floor assembly of an American VW Beetle, shortened it by almost 40 centimeters and put a plastic body on top.
With the new plastic hat and the compact dimensions, the beach buggy has become handier, lighter and a real source of fun. Thanks to the wide tires, it became a perfect recreational vehicle for the beach and the street. It didn’t take long for the tired Beetle engines in the rear to gain strength with different carburetors and larger displacements. Some customers even exchanged the open four-cylinder boxers in the rear for Porsche engines from the 911 or Chevrolet Corvair with six combustion chambers, which gave an impressive boost to driving performance and sound.
Bruce Meyers himself has produced more than 5,000 beach buggies over the years in the Californian town of Fountain Valley / Orange County. Although he had patented the construction on the Beetle chassis, the Californian could not fight it in court. After the unsuccessful lawsuit, motley beach buggy replicas sprawled around the world. Between 200,000 and 250,000 vehicles are said to have been built in Asia, South America, Europe and the USA. The construction always remained the same: Beetle body down, GRP construction on the shortened chassis and a light vitamin injection for the engine, which peeked out more confidently than ever from under the plastic cover at the rear and especially its exhaust pithy staged. In Europe, the beach hoppers made a name for themselves, especially from Apal and Karmann.
The equipment of the stand buggies remained spartan in accordance with their purpose as a joker for weekends and sunshine. Two bucket seats, a small sports steering wheel, a sparse dashboard with little more information than the speedometer and fuel gauge. In addition, switches for lights and indicators as well as a roll bar, three pedals and a gear stick – and the playmobil is complete. Some had windscreen wipers, others frog-look auxiliary headlights or even a bikini top for the rain shower – but none of the beach hoppers from Meyers were comfortable.
Meyers Manx is currently looking for 50 interested beta testers who will put the electrical prototypes of the successor through their paces from the customer’s perspective. “We are looking for 50 beta pioneers who want to experience the magic of the Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric,” said Phillip Sarofim, Chairman of Meyers Manx, “The program offers a rare opportunity for people who share our dream of driving a classic Californian icon, now equipped with 21st century technology, can actively participate in creating the perfect end product.” The beta testers are expected to drive the Manx buggies in all possible conditions and at a predetermined minimum mileage over a period of 12 months. They should regularly share their experiences with the development team at Meyers Manx.
The new Manx buggy is powered by an electric motor on the rear axle, which is said to have an output of 150 kW / 204 hp. The customer can choose between two battery packs with 20 and 40 kWh, which should guarantee ranges of 250 and 500 kilometers. The curb weight of the Manx new edition should be less than 800 kilograms. “If you can imagine the optimistic experience of driving at the beach or in the mountains in a peerless car with an iconic design, then you’re ready to apply,” says Philip Sarofim. “This rigorous testing methodology mirrors that of our founder, Bruce Meyers who set speed and time records in the Baja with his prototype Old Red buggy.”
There have been a number of attempts to revive the Meyers Manx, especially in the USA. Most recently, Volkswagen made buggy fans dream. The Manx 2.0 Electric is the first completely new vehicle from Meyers Manx in almost 60 years. In addition to applicants for the beta program, Meyers Manx is now also taking orders for the production Manx 2.0 Electric, which is scheduled for delivery in 2024. Electro-Max deposits are $500. The price of the buggy is unknown.