Restomod companies are seemingly a dime a dozen lately, with new ones popping up all the time (usually shilling some Porsche or Land Rover or Mustang). If the fatigue of yet another modernized classic is getting you down, may we suggest something far more unique, like the recently announced Brado Carbon Buggy concept? Debuting this week at the Motor Valley Fest in Italy, the Carbon Buggy very clearly channels the spirit of the original, Volkswagen-based Meyers Manx dune buggy, but look closer and you’ll see the entire body structure is hewn from stiff, robust carbon fiber.
German Engineering, Italian Style, American Spirit
Brado Carbon Buggy ConceptBrado
Brado is a new firm based in Parma, Italy, meaning it belongs to the same “Motor Valley” as Maserati in Bologna, Ferrari and Pagani in Modena, and Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Its first design concept is the dune buggy, which, as its name suggests, is built on a full carbon fiber monocoque chassis. Each example of the extremely limited-production Carbon Buggy will be built to its client’s specifications – unsurprising for a restomod – with options that include a variety of interior fabric and leather choices, as well as painted, tinted, or bare carbon fiber bodywork.
Brado Carbon Buggy ConceptBrado
What is rather unexpected for an enthusiast vehicle from Motor Valley is its power output. According to Brado, the Carbon Buggy will get a mere 85 horsepower, courtesy of the standard carbureted 1.8-liter flat-four engine. If that’s not enough grunt, there’s an optional 2.0-liter flat-four that makes a marginally improved 110 hp. That’s right, while most fiber-bodied vehicles feature some eyebrow-raising numbers, the Brado produces less power than a Hyundai Venue and makes no pretense about it.
Brado Carbon Buggy ConceptBrado
Of course, thanks to the carbon fiber body and minimalist interior, the Carbon Buggy will still probably be pretty fun to drive. The restomod shop didn’t claim a targeted curb weight, but considering the reborn Meyers Manx is about 1,600 pounds soaking wet, we bet the Brado version will be closer to 1,300 or so. Combined with the mandatory five-speed manual, that should give the dune buggy performance that’s roughly on par with the Mazda MX-5 Miata or Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Related
Meyers Manx With A Porsche Motor Only Has One Thing To Say: Let’s F’ing Go!
The Meyers Manx reboot has been given a shot of adrenaline thanks to a Porsche heart from Tuthill. The LFG is not your ordinary off-road buggy.
The Brado Carbon Buggy will also pay homage to the original Meyers Manx via decent rough-road capability. Two tire options will be available: BFGoodrich all-terrains will be on duty for those who actually want to pound around the sand, while Cooper Cobras will be intended more for street performance and occasional dirt-road shenanigans. Four-wheel disc brakes and adjustable shock absorbers come standard, and a rear seat is optional.
A New Company Joins The Fray
Brado Carbon Buggy ConceptBrado
Brado was founded by Matias Mussetta, whose résumé includes a stint as a technical team member on the Ferrari crew that won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. Self-proclaimed “gentleman driver” Andrea Mazzuca joined the company as a strategic director, while Juan Manuel Diaz is lead designer. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was once Alfa Romeo’s chief designer responsible for some of the major design details of the 8C Competizione, as well as the MiTo and Giulietta compact cars.
Diaz’s work on the Brado Carbon Buggy isn’t quite as groundbreaking, but it nonetheless retains the happy styling of the beachcombing VWs from the 1960s, including sleek fenders, climb-over door sills, and freestanding headlamps – modernized, predictably, with LEDs. Solid titanium accents liven up the vintage looks, and Brado will offer a limited-production initial run of cars with forged (instead of woven) carbon construction.
The company hasn’t announced pricing for its funky little restomod, but if our experiences with the niche are correct, we doubt it’ll be cheap. Plan on spending well over six figures on the Carbon Buggy when it reaches production.
Related
The Volkswagen Beetle Just Got The Restomod Treatment, But There’s More Horsepower In A Blender
It’s “not about the raw numbers.”
Source: Brado via CarScoops
