The Baja Bug Is Back, Baby

The Twisted TBug is an off-road Volkswagen Beetle made modern, with usable tech and real power.

Photo by: Twisted

By: Anthony Alaniz

May 19, 2025 at 1:00pm ET

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The Volkswagen Beetle might be dead, but there's still plenty of love out there for the iconic Bug. There's so much love out there that UK-based tuner company Twisted has shifted some attention away from building Defenders and Jimnys to launch a new special project. It's called the TBug, and it's more than a retromodded Volkswagen Beetle. Each is a one-off, ground-up custom build emphasizing old-school Beetle fun.

Twisted will take a vintage Beetle, sourced from the 1960s through the 1980s, and add a long-travel suspension with BF Goodrich all-terrain tires for extra grip. There's a strengthened chassis and upgraded brakes to improve handling. The specialist also doubles the Beetle’s power output... to just under 80 horses. This thing is light, and it's not light straight-line speed is a priority.

Photos by: Twisted

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The VW has modern touches, too, like LED lighting, but it doesn’t distract from the retro aesthetic that Twisted recreates. The baja-inspired body is easily recognizable, even with Twisted’s custom face. The company wanted to “capture the honest simplicity of the original Baja Bugs.” We love it.

Each TBug is custom-built to the buyer’s preferred spec, which includes trim, color, and optional equipment. No two will be alike, according to the company. Twisted will officially unveil the car on May 29 at its new showroom in London. It might be the best way to enjoy the Bug life in 2025, seeing as how VW has no plans to launch a new one.