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The famous sand buggy of the 60s, the Meyers Manx, should rise from its ashes in 2024 in an electric version. The designer is none other than Thomas Freeman, known for having participated in the design of the Audi TT and launched the neo-retro style of the Volkswagen New Beetle.
The most cinephiles among us surely remember the film The Thomas Crown Affair played by Steve McQueen and the incomparable Faye Dunaway, whose soundtrack was signed by the French composer Michel Legrand. One of the mythical scenes of this film, released in theaters in 1968, is a trip to a huge deserted beach aboard a Meyers Manx buggy. Buggy by the way that was found and sold for $456,000 at auction in March 2020.
Originally, the Manx, or sand buggy, was designed by Bruce Meyers – who died in March 2021 – in the 1960s. It was a kit vehicle based on a modified chassis of the famous Volkswagen Beetle and dressed in a fiberglass hull. Meyers Manx buggies made the heyday of desert races such as the Mexican 1000, ancestor of the mythical Baja 1000.
Bruce Meyers with his first buggy called Old Red, with which he will scour the desert races. © Meyers Manx
Although having gone bankrupt in 1971, Bruce Meyers revived in 1999 by creating a new company, Meyers Manx, still dedicated to buggies. In 2014, he unveiled a 100% electric prototype.
Then, in 2020, he sold his company to Trousdale Ventures, a venture capital firm managed by Phillip Sarofim, a car collector and big fan of Meyers Manx buggies. To lead Meyers Manx, Phillip Sarofim called on Thomas Freeman, a renowned designer who worked at Porsche and collaborated on the design of the Audi TT. It is also to him that we owe the neo-retro style of the Volkswagen New Beetle.
Since then, Thomas Freeman and his team have been busy since, on August 6, the Meyers Manx 2.0 was unveiled, a new buggy taking up the design of the original Manx, but with a slightly modernized line. However, we find this famous silhouette, the central arch, a minimalist dashboard and, of course, the famous round headlights and their frog eyes. The hood, on the other hand, gives way to a hard, removable roof.
A 100% electric motorization
Exit however the large engine visible at the rear of the vehicle. The Manx 2.0 is equipped with a 100% electric motorization with no less than two motors placed at the rear and developing 202 hp for a torque of 325 Nm. These characteristics are associated with the 40 kWh battery pack offering 483 km.
On the other hand, no technical engine specificity has been communicated concerning the 20 kWh battery pack, whose autonomy is given for 241 km. Recharging will take place via the 6 kW (AC) on-board charger or at 60 kW via a fast charger, available as an option.
In terms of dimensions, the Manx 2.0 is 3.13 m long, 1.78 m wide and 1.35 m high. As for the wheelbase, it is 2.08 m. The weight will vary from 680 to 748 kg, depending on the battery pack chosen.
If the prices are not yet known, we do know that the first deliveries should take place from 2024. However, from 2023, 50 beta-tester customers will receive a copy of the Manx 2.0, just to have their feelings and record reviews with the aim of improving it. Changes will be made remotely or over the air (OTA).
The official presentation of the Meyers Manx 2.0 will take place on August 19, 2022, while pre-orders will open immediately after.
It is hoped that the commercialization of the Meyers Manx 2.0 will cause Volkswagen to reconsider its position on abandoning the manufacture of its ID. Buggy, an electric buggy concept based on the…original Meyers Manx.