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This is an all-electric dune buggy

Published: 15 May 2014

50 years ago, Bruce Meyers created the Meyers Manx - an indecently cute dune buggy that came to define the beach culture that conceived it. Now, well into his eighties, Meyers is back with an EV version, the Manx V.

But don't get too excited. It's just a Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) at the moment - a low-speed thing that'll be used by golfists and Americans that prefer sitting down to walking around. Top speed? As low as 25mph in some states.

Thing is, it's only low-speed because the fun stuff's been turned down to please the legislators. Under the fibreglass shell, there's an 84bhp, 102-volt motor. In a car that weighs 779kg at the kerb. Undo the tedious restrictions and it'll hit 62mph.

Elsewhere, Bruce has kept the rear-wheel drive layout, but scrapped the original Manx's Beetle-sourced chassis and replaced it with a tubular spaceframe. There's also an A-arm coilover setup front and back, and regenerative Wilwood disc brakes all-round. And we want to drive it very much.

What old, iconic thing would you EVerize? Now read more about Bruce here.

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