Forget the Bugatti Divo or the other big debuts, this is much more interesting.
A couple of years ago at Pebble Beach, the spectacular Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 managed to grab the attention not only thanks to its sensuous body, but also because someone maneuvered the concept using an RC controller. This year at The Quail, there’s another full-size RC car, but of an entirely different nature since it’s based on the Volkswagen Baja Bug.
If you haven’t seen this one before, here’s what you should know. Several years ago, Japanese R/C model manufacturer Tamiya commissioned a 1:1 scale version of its 1979 Sand Scorcher, first introduced on December 15, 1979 as a 1:10-scale electric radio controlled car kit. What makes the full-size version interesting – other than its sheer size – is the amazing attention to detail that went into creating the life-like replica – right down to the “BAJA BUG” license plate.
Who said RC cars have to be built on a small scale?
It’s truly a spitting image of the toy car, which by the way had a suspension setup designed to echo the Beetle’s actual suspension. The 1:1 model was built in 2010 by German customization and restoration shop, Bug Box, to celebrate the relaunch of the Sand Scorcher. They worked on a 1968 VW Beetle body to create the big Sand Scorcher, and in order to faithfully follow the 1:10 scale model, even the decals plastered onto the body were measured to scale.
The party piece? That would have to be the huge radio controller. That’s just for effect as the real-life Sand Scorcher can be driven like an actual car since it is one. Bug Box was also in charge of building the radio console, complete with a large antenna that stands above everything else on the lawn at The Quail.
