New Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric beach buggy revealed
The Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric is the firm’s first car for almost 60 years
The iconic Meyers Manx beach buggy has been given electric power to create this - the Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric. It retains much of the look of the original, while delivering performance that is anything but original.
First, a little history. 1964 saw the legendary Bruce Meyers build his first Meyers Manx. It featured a unibody shell fusing body, wings and the frame together. The powertrain was more conventional, being the engine and transmission from the humble Volkswagen Beetle.
The Meyers Manx was so popular it spawned numerous copies from other manufacturers. Even Volkswagen’s all-electric ID.Buggy concept from 2019 can trace its design back to the original Manx.
Bruce Meyers, sold his eponymous firm in late 2020 after 56 years in charge, before passing away in March 2021 at the age of 94. The new owners, Trousdale Ventures, renamed the company to Meyers Manx, LLC.
The new 2.0 Electric Buggy is designed by Freeman Thomas, the CEO of Meyers Manx LLC. He has a history of reimagining iconic cars including the Volkswagen Concept 1 in 1994 - which eventually morphed into the New Beetle a few years later.
The 2.0 Electric Buggy’s stubby proportions, chunky off-road tyres, lack of doors, high ground clearance, flared wings and of course those round headlights are all typical beach buggy traits. But, while the original buggy had its engine mounted in the rear, most of the Manx 2.0’s weight is under the floor in the form of its battery pack.
Trousdale Ventures CEO, Phillip Sarofim, told US publication TechCrunch that the Manx 2.0 will get a choice of 20kWh and 40kWh battery packs, giving a range of 150 or 300 miles.
Power’s sent to the rear wheels and the company claims 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds. The new Manx is estimated to weigh slightly more than the original’s 567kg kerb weight at 680kg or 750kg depending on the battery, but it’ll still be one of the light road-legal electric cars on the market.
You can find out more about the 2.0 Electric Buggy when it’s revealed at Monterey Car Week later this month.
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