Volkswagen showed six
conceptual takes on its Up at
the 2011 Frankfurt
Motor Show, one of those being the Up
Buggy. Although few will probably remember it, VW has not forgotten it,
applying for a patent for the Meyers Manx revival roadster way back in March
2012 and being approved in June of this year, according to a report
in Autocar. That will give the automaker a 14-year lock on the design
while it decides whether to move forward with a reboot of its past.
A patent doesn't mean the Up Buggy will ever move beyond the
sheet-of-paper stage, but Autocar says VW is studying the market to
see if a production version is feasible. We can't see North America ever
getting it, but even so, we wouldn't complain if they made it - especially if
they put an exposed engine in back that was set off by 18-inch-long twin
tailpipes jutting straight up into the air. However, for a company that aims to
be the world's number-one automaker by 2018, a niche vehicle for its
mass-market brand would be a surprising use of resources.
by Jonathon Ramsey
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