Dune buggies

A dune buggy or beach buggy is a recreational motor vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes, beaches, or desert recreation. It is called a "Beach Buggy" in the United Kingdom, Ireland and many other English speaking countries. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the vehicle or increasing engine power or both. Dune buggies designed specifically for operation on open sand are called sandrails.

A similar, more recent generation of off-road vehicle, often similar in appearance to a sandrail but designed for different use, is the "off road go-kart". The difference may be little more than fitting all-terrain tires instead of sand tires and the much smaller size of the engine.

Dune buggies are usually created using one of three methods.

The first involves alteration of an existing vehicle, most notably the original car or chassis, often a Volkswagen Beetle or a purpose-built chassis. The model is nicknamed Bug, therefore the term "buggy". The Beetle automobile platform is preferred for a variety of reasons. Most significant is the position of the rear mounted Volkswagen engine, which with removal of bodywork transfers a high proportion of the weight to the rear driven wheels for extra traction. The engine is air cooled, simplifying engine modification, and the absence of a radiator and liquid-cooling system eliminates multiple sources of failure. The low price, robustness of the front suspension, and the sizable quantity of spare parts from other VW Beetles and Type 2 (Microbus) are a further advantage. Chevrolet Corvair engines are also a way to upgrade to 6 cylinders and sometimes vehicles are fitted with turbochargers.

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