Hot Wheels picked a year 1956 Volkswagen Beetle as a finalist on the 2022 Legends Tour. While this is the second time Beetles selected for the semi-finals, it was a one-of-a-kind, heavily modified car nicknamed the “Berlin Buick“and powered by a mid-mounted V8.
Owner Rob Freeman drove from Syracuse, New York, to Southern California to compete in the Los Angeles leg of the 2022 Legends Tour. He told Hot Wheels that he started toying with the idea of building a mid-engined Beetle when he was a kid. He began the project years later by purchasing a 1956 oval window model for $1,000 and building a factory-installed air-cooled flat-four engine.
He chose to power the Beetle with a Buick-sourced 215 cubic inch (3.5 liter) V8 because it is a relatively compact and light engine —these characteristics also explain why Why is the development of these eight vehicles fueling a long list of European models over the decades, despite Volkswagen never used it. The V8 is mounted behind the front seats, in the space previously occupied by the rear bench, and it sends 300 horsepower to the huge rear wheels via a manual transmission. The list of modifications also includes a custom independent rear suspension.
With the drivetrain sorted, Freeman turned his attention to the bodywork. He lowered the hood by about 4 inches, removed the running boards and went as far as to install a chrome side skirt derived from a 1957 Buick. The exhaust system is one of the most interesting modifications ever. made for this Beetle: The V8 exhaled through eight exhaust outlets (four on each side) shaped like the air vents that Buick had fitted to some of its cars in the early 1950s.
Open the suicide door, look inside, and you’ll find the steering wheel and dashboard components donated by a 1949 Buick. Custom upholstery arranges the seats, door panels and floorboards, and the engine is mounted just inches from the passenger.
Freeman’s Beetle will compete in one of the semi-finals scheduled for late 2022 for a chance to enter the Hot Wheels catalog of 1/24 scale diecast models, which means it could find its way to the door. your local toy store (and eventually to your desk) in the not-too-distant future. To win, it will need to fend off competition from a growing list of competitors including a dragster based on the Porsche 928, more than 3,000 hp, a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle with an engine supplied by Volvoand a 1931 diesel-powered Dodge Rat Rod built as a family building.
Some of the Berlin Buick competitions will come from abroad. While this heavily modified Beetle basks in the California sun, a panel of judges includes old Jaguar Land Rover designer Ian Callum chose a 1963 Ford The hot stick is based on Anglia (shown above) to represent Great Britain in the 2022 Legends Tournament. Called “The Misfit” and crafted by Michael Charalambous, it’s powered by a super kit. load BMW car The engine is derived from the 3 Series and is built on a custom chassis that incorporates parts from Ford and Hillman Imp.
