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Volkswagen’s Iconic Bus
The Volkswagen Microbus is one of the most iconic vehicles in automotive history — collectors willingly pay top dollar for one of these classics. The German car company is hoping to capitalize on this love/obsession when it brings back a modern-day version of the legendary VW bus.
VIDEO: Volkswagen announcement at Pebble Beach
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I.D. BUZZ Concept
The second I.D. concept from Volkswagen, the I.D. BUZZ debuted earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show as an all-electric Microbus that pays homage to the beloved Microbus of years past. VW brought this show car to the Pebble Beach Concours to announce its intentions to put the bus into production.
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Coming in 2022
At Pebble Volkswagen CEO Dr Herbert Diess announced that following the production of VW’s compact 4-door I.D. electric sedan, a production version of the I.D. BUZZ will become a reality, with arrival in U.S. showrooms during 2022. Volkswagen plans to target markets in North America, China and Europe.
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Popular Demand
“After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, ‘please build this car’,” Volkswagen CEO Dr Herbert Diess said in Pebble Beach. Diess announced the automaker’s intent to build the I.D. BUZZ before the Pebble Beach Concours because, as Diess explained, “The Microbus has long been part of the California lifestyle. Now we’re bringing it back by reinventing it as an electric vehicle.”
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Electric Power
The I.D. BUZZ concept features two electric motors — one driving each axle — providing all-wheel-drive capability and a total output of 369 horsepower. A new take on the original Microbus, design elements of I.D. BUZZ include a new interpretation of the VW logo in contrasting color, the friendly “face” of the Microbus and the short front and rear overhangs.
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Autonomous
A fully autonomous vehicle in I.D. Pilot mode, the concept BUZZ’s driver and front passenger seats can be rotated 180 degrees to face the rear. With a slight push on the steering wheel it retracts into the instrument panel and switches to I.D. Pilot mode.
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Beautiful Interior
The concept’s floor is made of Silver Birch wood, and in the rear seating area aluminum inlays in the wood match the honeycomb pattern of the dash and steering wheel. The top sections of the doors are covered in a metallic leatherette, and the seats are covered with a knit fabric in a graduated honeycomb pattern.
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Modern Electronics
The I.D. BUZZ concept has a head-up display projecting information via augmented reality, and the center console includes a tablet display and Beats Bluetooth speakers.
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Reality
While the production version will likely utilize an electric powertrain similar to the concept, we expect the interior to feature materials more in line with a typical production vehicle. Of course, additional information about the production model will be released over the next several years.
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ Concept
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ Concept
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ Concept
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ Concept
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ Concept
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ Concept
