The Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric is a beach buggy icon reborn

There’s no getting around it – the Meyers Manx is the definitive beach buggy. Bruce Meyers created the VW Beetle-based dune basher in 1964 and managed to keep hold of his eponymous company in various forms until 2020.

He sadly passed away just a few months later, but we reckon Meyers would have been well on board with the firm’s newly-announced Manx 2.0 Electric.

It’s yet another icon reborn for the electric age, this time pushed by ex-VW and Ford chief designer Freeman Thomas – CEO of the newly formed Meyers Manx company. Looks brilliant, doesn’t it?

It’ll make its official debut later this month at The Quail in California, but this isn’t just a concept – it’ll be built in the US and it has been confirmed that the first 50 cars will be delivered to ‘select customers’ in 2023 for them to feedback to the development team. 

So, to the bit you’re all wondering about – the electric powertrain. It’ll be rear-wheel drive with two electric motors (one for each wheel), regenerative braking and a choice of two battery packs. The smaller battery will be 20kWh and should provide a range of 150 miles, the larger will be 40kWh and will get 202bhp, 240lb ft of torque and a 300-mile range.

The newly-formed Meyers Manx company reckons it’ll weigh just 680kg with the 20kWh battery too, and there’ll be 60kW fast charging available as an option. No word on price just yet though.

This, or VW’s ID Buggy concept from back in 2019?