The Volkswagen Bus is a part of an elite group of automobiles which can be immediately recognizable to nearly anybody on Earth. Automobiles like the Bus and the Beetle, and non-VWs like the Ford Mustang, transcend the sphere of automobile fans and have discovered properties within the hearts and minds of all several types of folks. Volkswagen’s long-awaited revival of its iconic blunt-nosed bread field on wheels, the totally electrical ID Buzz, excites normies and automobile nerds alike, however Volkswagen has the possibility to take issues one step additional and revive the rugged, all-terrain Syncro. The ID Buzz is already provided with all-wheel drive, so why not carry it a bit and supply one other taste of nostalgia with an ID Buzz Syncro? Or Zyncro?
Volkswagen introduced the primary four-wheel-drive Vanagon Syncros to the U.S. in 1986. They have been by no means meant to be go-anywhere rock-hopping mountain goats or desert-dominating Dakar stars, however they provided consumers elevated traction for dangerous climate and an non-obligatory locking rear differential for the actually difficult stuff. Regardless of not being designed for intense off-roading, the Vanagon Syncro set a document in 1985 for driving across the globe, overlaying 27,000 miles in 131 days and hitting 5 completely different continents.
Whereas the Vanagon of the Nineteen Eighties and ‘90s didn’t fairly rise to popular culture fame like the unique Volkswagen Bus, it’s nonetheless one in all my favourite vehicles ever. The truth is, one of many first questions I get after I inform folks what I do for work is “what’s your dream automobile?” Individuals anticipate me to say one thing like a Bugatti Chiron or a Bentley Continental GT, however I’ve a lot, a lot weirder tastes than that. My dream automobile is an early ‘90s Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia with a Porsche or Subaru motor swapped in to offer it some guts.
I’m not often a fan of automakers lifting their vehicles and including black plastic trim to create an off-road-focused spec of their vehicles, however the Buzz is begging for a Syncro revival. Within the period of crossover-crazed customers and automobile corporations that cater to them with specialised Wilderness, Rock Creek, Raptor, and AT4 trims, it’s a no brainer in my eyes. Kia lately launched a lifted Journey Van idea that was fairly rad, too. I actually imagine that Volkswagen can capitalize on the ID Buzz’s nostalgia and land an actual gross sales hit with an ID Buzz Syncro.
