The Twisted Automotive T-Bug, A Desert Raid Beetle Reborn

The Beetle. If ever there was a poster car to represent car culture, it should be this one. Despite its shady origins, it has become a symbol of the free, the custom car spirit, and the hunger for adventure. It was born in one of the darkest times of modern history, yet it has made a lasting and joyous impression as one of the most successful cars ever made. It has been in production from 1938, all the way to 2003, and more than 21 million of them have rolled off assembly lines all over the world. Even today, it remains a true cultural icon, loved by thousands, if not millions of people. No wonder there’s a huge fanbase looking to spice up the Beetle, turning it from simple to outrageous and beyond. It also sparked many spin-off cars, such as the Baja Bug and the Meyers Manx, to name just two. In the off-roading spirit of the Baja Bug, we turn to Twisted Automotive, which has just unveiled its own interpretation of the iconic off-roading Beetle, called the T-Bug. And it’s pretty rad!

Baja Beginnings

Similar to the Meyers Manx, brought to life by the legendary Bruce Meyer, the Baja Bug traces its roots to Southern California in the 1960s. It was meant to be a sort of in-between car, splitting the Beetle and the Manx. The first of its kind is credited to Gary Emory, who modified a stock beetle into what would become known as the Baja Bug in 1968. Californian cartoonist Dave Deal entered one in the 1968 Mexican 1000, the famous 1,000-mile race across the Mexican desert. At first, this was done by cutting into the bodywork of the Beetle, but a year later, fibreglass kits made by the Miller-Havens company appeared on the market, and a sub-genre for Beetle modifications was born.

The recipe for a Baja Bug is fairly simple. You take a run-of-the-mill Beetle, jack up the suspension, fit big stubby off-roading tires, modify or swap out the fenders to accommodate the bigger wheels, remove the front and rear bumpers, and replace them with tubular bars if needed, free up the engine, and you’re pretty much done! Other modifications included moving the headlights to the centre (the Bugeye look) and installing a roll cage and bucket seats in the interior. Power was also increased by fiddling with the fuel injection system or swapping out the engine entirely for something bigger.

Even today, there are countless people, clubs and companies actively modifying the VW Beetle into whatever they can imagine. The Meyers Manx was even relaunched not too long ago, albeit there is little ‘Beetle’ to be found in that one. A simple Google search reveals endless sources of inspiration, including parts and even total cars. And given the popularity of restomodding shifting from road to track, and even off-road, the classic Baja Bug is now honoured with its own reimagined counterpart, by Twisted Automotive.

Twisted Automotive

Nestled in Thirsk, which is in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Twisted Automotive was founded by Charles Fawcett in the year 2000. Born out of pure, unbridled passion for Land Rovers and 4x4s, the company has made a name for itself by developing performance parts for Land Rover cars, and eventually doing bespoke builds based on the iconic off-roader. The first fully Twisted-built Land Rover hit the road in 2003, with customer customisation starting in 2005. Over the years, more and more detailed and high-performance work was done, but focus also shifted to something a bit smaller and a bit more modern: the fourth-gen Suzuki Jimny. The boxy little 4×4 was an instant hit when released in 2018, and Twisted offers a licensed range of modifications and tuning kits to make it even better and more fun to drive.

The creation of the T-Bug is quite personal to Charles, as it starts with the memory of Baja Bug posters on the bedroom wall of his sister when they were kids. Fascinated by the rebellious nature of those early off-roading Beetles, Charles and Twisted Automotive have now set out to capture that spirit in the T-Bug. Under Twisted’s Special Vehicle division, the whole concept is about going back to basics yet reimagine it through the team’s obsession with engineering and quality. The result is a car that embodies what the early Baja Bugs were all about, just built to a higher standard. Bigger power, better off-roading capabilities and more fun to drive on and off the tarmac.

The T-Bug

The process starts by handing over the keys of your air-cooled 1960s to 1980s VW Beetle to Twisted Automotive. Or, if you’re not in possession of one, ask them to source one for you. It’s the typical restomod way of things, but the end result is well worth it! The whole car is then broken down into individual parts, and then built up again with improvements where necessary or desired. And this goes for both the aesthetic side of things, as well as the mechanical side!

In the green car you see in the images, the very first one Twisted Automotive built, the work includes a full bare-metal restoration of the bodywork, chassis restoration and so on. Every mechanical element has also been inspected, repaired or upgraded where needed and so on. The car sits higher thanks to new Bilstein shocks all around, with an independent rear suspension fit to tackle rough terrain. Stopping power is also improved, as the Green Baja is converted to disc brakes. To complete the Baja Bug look, the T-Bug is fitted with EMPI Baja wheels and BF Goodrich tyres.

The 1.8-litre flat-four engine of the donor Beetle has also been extensively modified. Twisted says the power has doubled, yet it is still below 80 horsepower. The engine is fitted with a new aluminium crank case, performance flywheel and crank, new barrels and pistons, larger valve-heads, dual Weber 40 IDF carburettors and an upgrade from 6 volts to 12 volts for the electrical system. Speaking of which, the whole wiring loom of the car has been replaced with a new one, LED lights are installed front and back, and digital gauges are fitted. The interior has been re-trimmed in leather and vinyl, and modern sports seats ensure the ride is as comfortable as it can be.

What I love is the fact that for the rest, it’s left pretty much untouched. Apart from a new Heritage Green paint job, that is, to match the Heritage Green colour of the exterior. The steering wheel and gear stick have been updated, but other than that, it’s pretty much the minimalistic interior the car originally came with! So the windows are rolled down by hand, there’s the fold-out small window as you expect, and a simple push-button release for the glovebox. Simply lovely stuff, keeping the spirit of the original Beetle very much alive despite all the modifications.

Twisted Automotive states no two T-Bugs will ever be identical, as there’s an endless list of options to go through. If you want more creature comforts inside, that’s doable. If you want a wilder off-roading trim, you’ve got it. If you’re in need of more power, the engine can be swapped without much problem. The only thing to remember is, the more things you want done, the more it is going to cost you. Twisted Automotive remains silent on what this Green baja T-Bug 001 would cost, but I imagine it isn’t exactly cheap!

For more information, please visit Twisted.co.

Editorial Note: The information used and images portrayed in this article are sourced from and used with permission of Twisted Automotive, unless stated otherwise.