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The Meyers Manx, the iconic 1960s dune pushchair, is returning as the new all-electric Meyers Manx 2. 0.
The particular original Manx, the first “dune buggy, ” was a kit car, built on the modified VW Beetle chassis with a fiberglass body kit. It was popular in desert racing in the 60s, though the particular company folded in 1971. Bruce Meyers, the founder, brought the company back in 1999 and showed off an electrical prototype within 2014 . The company was sold to venture capital firm Trousdale in 2020.
The brand new company, Meyers Manx, LLC, has now introduced an updated and fully electric version of the buggy, which was unveiled this weekend in Malibu. And unlike VW’s ID. BUGGY concept , which was based on the original Manx, Meyers is planning to bring the new electric Manx 2 . 0 into production.
The new vehicle isn’t a kit car anymore. Instead, it will come fully assembled from the manufacturer with a design aesthetic similar to the particular original Meyers Manx but modernized (and with a very cool retro dash). The car was designed by Freeman Thomas, who designed the Audi TT and the modern VOLKS WAGEN New Beetle.
As for specs, like most early looks at electric cars, they may well change before the vehicle comes out. Currently the company is planning two different battery options, 20kWh plus 40kWh, which it says will be capable of 150 and 300 miles of range. The car can be charged in 6kW on AC power or 60kW at a DC fast charger (as an option) – low compared to modern EVs, but with a smaller battery, it should still charge plenty quickly.
These range numbers seem high given that the 40kWh Leaf gets 150 miles of range, but since the Meyers Manx second . 0 is much smaller than a normal electric car, it should be more efficient.
The Manx will only weigh around 1, 500lbs, or 1, 650lbs for the larger battery. That’s about a third from the weight of a normal full-size vehicle and a full ton lighter than the 40kWh Leaf. Though, the vehicle is less aerodynamic and has less-efficient knobby off-road tires.
The particular Manx will be driven by two rear motors, and the particular company says the 40kWh version can do 0–60 in 4. 5 seconds with 202hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. We don’t know how quick the 20kWh version will be, yet in a tiny electric dune buggy, we’re sure it will feel a lot quick anyway.
As with regard to practical features, this is a true dune pushchair and doesn’t come with many of the particular things we’d expect from a car. It has no doors or side windows, just an open area to slide into the cockpit. The roof is removable, but if you want to go topless, you need in order to leave the roof at home.
There’s the cargo area in the particular back that will can be accessed simply by tilting the roof forward (which you can see in this Instagram reel ), but it’s not lockable. And there’s some room under the hood, but it’s taken up by a spare tire and tool kit.
And yet, as a low-volume producer, the car should still be street legal under US regulations .
Meyers says this plans to ship 50 examples associated with the vehicle as a “beta program” in 2023, which is surprisingly soon. As the new company, it wants to get feedback from these early owners to make sure everything is going right – as well as the car will be able of over-the-air updates to respond to this particular early feedback. Deliveries of the Meyers Manx 2 . 0 start in earnest within 2024.
Despite this early timeline, Meyers has not yet released pricing information. A small car with a small battery should be reasonably priced, but given that it’s low-production from a new organization and may include a few pricey materials (the roof, at least, will be carbon fiber, though we do not know the body material), it could proceed either way.
But even though the particular company hasn’t released pricing information, this plans in order to start taking reservations next week. The official public debut of the vehicle comes on August 19, and reservations will certainly open upon the company’s website after that debut.
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