Brado Carbon Buggy: A Retro Manual VW Air-Cooled Buggy
Brado
The Brado Carbon Buggy features a carbon-fiber monocoque, VW air-cooled engine, manual gearbox, and retro design. It's a purist's answer to modern digital cars. Compact and beach-ready, this buggy is a unique offering.
Italian Brado has revealed the Carbon Buggy—a vehicle that looks like a response to modern electric cars with screens and complex software. Its philosophy is different: a carbon-fiber monocoque, open body, manual transmission, and a good old Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four engine mounted at the rear.
The project was created by Matías Mussetta and Andrea Mazzuca, with design by Juan Manuel Díaz, who previously worked on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Audi R8 Spyder. The buggy is very compact: just 3310 mm long, shorter than a Fiat 500, but the rear section stretches to 1810 mm in width. The look is classic: round headlights, simple shapes, a fabric roof, and a beach-going character.
Inside, there’s no digital overload. Only physical controls, a single gauge on the center console, leather, marine fabrics, and titanium accents. Buyers can choose a two- or four-seat layout.
Two engines are available: a base 1.8-liter producing 63 kW and a 2.0-liter version with 82 kW. Power is modest, but the setup is honest: rear-wheel drive, carburetors, a manual gearbox, and minimal weight. The suspension uses adjustable oil-and-gas shock absorbers, and disc brakes are fitted all around. Tire options include the BF Goodrich off-road tire or the Hybrid Street on Cooper Cobra for road use.
Brado has not yet disclosed the price, production numbers, or target markets. But the point is already clear: this is an expensive toy for those tired of identical electric capsules, who want a car that again smells of gasoline, sun, and sand.
