Old-school Volkswagen styling meets modern UTV performance in the Rugged Radios Baja RZR, a 175-horsepower Polaris RZR XP 1000 disguised as a classic desert Bug.
Text by Cody Hooper | Photos by Jon Crowley
When Rugged Radios President Greg Cottrell was growing up, Volkswagen Beetles were the epitome of cool. The Beetle crossed social and cultural boundaries, finding its way into everything from daily transportation to customized street cars and desert racing. From hippies to desert rats, nearly everyone seemed to have a connection to the iconic VW Bug.
Greg maintained those old-school roots while also catching the UTV bug. A longtime off-road enthusiast and owner of a turbocharged four-seat RZR XP 1000, he leads a crew of communications specialists who enjoy spending as much time as possible in the dirt and sand.
Turning a RZR XP 1000 Into a Baja Bug
Greg called us with a secret early in the project. He planned to build something we had never seen before: a Polaris RZR XP 1000 wearing a full Volkswagen-inspired body.
After developing the concept and assembling a parts list, Greg purchased a new 2015 RZR XP 1000 and delivered it to NV Fab in Oceano, California. The shop, operated by Nick Valentine, is located close to Rugged Radios and only a short distance from the Oceano Dunes—a fitting place to create a modern interpretation of a classic desert Bug.
NV Fab stripped the RZR and positioned a fiberglass Volkswagen Beetle front clip over the Polaris chassis. The conversion took approximately four months to complete. From the front, the finished machine looks convincingly like a VW-powered Class 5 desert car.
The resemblance was convincing enough to fool people who saw it for the first time. Greg regularly heard questions about which engine had been installed in the “Class 5 car,” only to reveal that a modern Polaris drivetrain remained underneath the vintage-looking body.
Custom VW-Inspired Chassis and Interior
Building a believable Volkswagen conversion required more than simply placing a fiberglass nose over the stock RZR. NV Fab modified the chassis around the A-pillars and door bars to preserve the Beetle’s proportions. Custom-molded aluminum door panels completed the body lines while providing protection for the occupants.
The interior carries the retro theme further with custom PRP seats upholstered in Mexican blanket material. A modified fiberglass Volkswagen dashboard, chrome three-spoke steering wheel and eight-ball shifter make the Baja RZR feel like an old-school Bug from behind the wheel.
Positive Ride’s Travis and Kyler Jecker handled the wiring, integrating the vintage-looking controls with the RZR’s modern electrical system.
Rugged Radios Communication and Fresh Air
As a showcase for Rugged Radios, the Baja RZR received a complete communication and fresh-air package. The interior features an RRP6100 race intercom connected to a 50-watt car-to-car radio, allowing the occupants to communicate with each other and other vehicles while riding.
Dual carbon-fiber MAC1 pumps provide filtered air for helmet ventilation. Modern air-pumper systems can help reduce the amount of dust entering a helmet while keeping the driver and passenger more comfortable in hot riding conditions.
The car also received a Rockford Fosgate stereo controlled through a Rugged Radios WM1 Bluetooth interface. Together, the intercom, car-to-car radio, fresh-air system and stereo gave the Baja RZR the communications equipment expected in a contemporary performance UTV.
Long-Travel Suspension and 76-Inch Stance
HCR Racing boxed-steel long-travel suspension widened the Baja RZR to approximately 76 inches while providing additional wheel travel and strength. The suspension was paired with 14-inch KING 2.5 internal-bypass shocks at all four corners. Remote reservoirs with cooling fins help manage shock temperatures during aggressive dune and desert driving.
Fullerton Sand Sports supplied custom white aluminum wheels wrapped in grooved Desert Trak Sport tires. The wide stance, white wheels and tall suspension give the machine the unmistakable posture of a purpose-built Baja Bug.
KC HiLiTES provided the lighting. The round LED lights preserve the appearance of traditional Volkswagen headlights while delivering the performance and lower power consumption of modern LED technology.
Boondocker Turbo Power
Underneath the vintage bodywork is the original 999cc Polaris parallel-twin engine, upgraded with a Boondocker turbo system and Gibson exhaust. The combination was estimated to produce 175 horsepower—a tremendous amount of power in a lightweight two-seat UTV.
For perspective, a traditional Volkswagen Beetle engine produced only a fraction of that output. With modern turbocharged power, four-wheel drive, long-travel suspension and a lightweight chassis, the Baja RZR delivers acceleration and off-road capability that its old-school appearance does not reveal.
Built to Show—and to Drive
The completed Baja RZR made its public debut shortly before the 2015 Sand Sports Super Show in Costa Mesa, California. It became one of the most talked-about vehicles at the show, drawing double takes from visitors who initially assumed they were looking at a traditional Volkswagen-powered desert car.
The Baja RZR showcases Greg’s ability to think beyond the usual bolt-on UTV build. More importantly, it was never intended to become a trailer queen. Greg takes it into the dunes and drives it—the way any properly built off-road machine should be enjoyed.
Rugged Radios Baja RZR Build Specifications
Vehicle and Fabrication
- Vehicle: 2015 Polaris RZR XP 1000
- Nickname: Baja RZR
- Fabrication: NV Fab, Nick Valentine
- Location: Oceano, California
- Build time: Approximately four months
- Completion: Shortly before the 2015 Sand Sports Super Show
Chassis and Body
- 2015 Polaris RZR XP 1000 chassis
- Fiberglass Volkswagen Beetle-style front clip
- Custom-molded aluminum door panels
- Modified A-pillars and door bars
- Paint: Crocketts Premier Auto Body, Arroyo Grande, California
- Wrap: Linson Signs, San Luis Obispo, California
- Wheels: Fullerton Sand Sports custom white aluminum wheels
- Tires: Custom-grooved Desert Trak Sport tires
- Wheelbase: 93 inches
- Track width: 76 inches
Engine and Drivetrain
- Engine: Polaris four-stroke DOHC parallel twin
- Displacement: 999cc
- Forced induction: Boondocker turbo system
- Exhaust: Gibson exhaust
- Estimated output: 175 horsepower
- Axles: Summers Brothers axle shafts
Suspension
- Front suspension: HCR Racing long-travel suspension
- Rear suspension: HCR Racing long-travel suspension
- Front shocks: 14-inch KING 2.5 internal-bypass shocks with finned remote reservoirs
- Rear shocks: 14-inch KING 2.5 internal-bypass shocks with finned remote reservoirs
- Springs: KING
Interior and Communications
- Custom PRP seats upholstered in Mexican blanket material
- PRP four-point 2.5-inch harnesses
- Modified fiberglass Volkswagen dashboard
- Chrome three-spoke steering wheel
- Eight-ball shift knob
- Electrical work by Travis and Kyler Jecker of Positive Ride
- Rugged Radios RRP6100 race intercom
- Rugged Radios 50-watt car-to-car radio
- Dual Rugged Radios MAC1 carbon-fiber fresh-air pumps
- Rockford Fosgate speakers
- Rugged Radios WM1 Bluetooth interface
Lighting
- KC HiLiTES LED lighting
Learn more about current Rugged Radios UTV intercom and radio kits at RuggedRadios.com.
