Yellow punch buggy, no punch backs!

Seriously, though. When was the last time you saw an old bug that looked this good? Volkswagen didn’t realize it at the time, but they created one of the most recognizable cars with a one of the largest cult followings ever. And, when you take look at this little car and what they are capable of on the track, you’d be amazed.

Let’s all learn something from this 1970 VW Beetle restomod…

So, why does this platform work so well?

Well, when you take into account that the car tips the scale with a weight of only 1,800 pounds, and that the engine sits right over the drive wheels, you can start to see why these ugly little cars can move so fast when set up just right.

Photo Credit: Mecum

Why a lower weight is great:

It has been said that lighter cars can move down the track at a rate of 1/10^th of a second faster per every 100 pounds lost. This is one of the reasons why guys who actually care about racing their rides spend a fortune on lightweight parts – such as tubular control arms and the myriad of other items people throw at their cars.

It is also why serious racers take out their back seats and ditch all the stuff that isn’t needed to keep it legal. Their goal is to be as quick as possible on the track. Let’s compare the bug with a few other cars, shall we?

• Ferrari 360 Modena – tips the scale at 3,100 pounds.

• 1969 Camaro – weights over 3,400 pounds.

• 1966 Fastback Mustang (considered a lightweight muscle car) weighs over 2,900 pounds.

• 1969 Corvette Coupe – weighs over 3,200 pounds.

• 2015 Corvette – starts at 3,200 pounds and goes up from there.

I can hear what you’re saying from where I’m at here in my home office: “yeah, but those cars make some serious power…”

And, you’d be right. They do make some serious power. But, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this, what is more important, is power to weight ratio. While it is true that there is no replacement for displacement, a combination of a light car with a more powerful engine is even better.

Photo Credit: Mecum

The engine and its placement are important:

Obviously, you need to be able to move. In order to do that, you need an engine and a host of other parts. However, the original engines sucked to the tune of 57 horsepower, which was just enough to get them up to 55-60 mph. But, it isn’t that hard to throw some go fast goodies on it to boost the power. Or, you could get really serious like this Bug going up for auction on Mecum later this year.

This Beetle has an 1835 cc engine with a host of parts. Now, I don’t claim to have a bunch of knowledge about these little buggers (pun intended), nor does the listing say how much power this particular setup makes.

Photo Credit: Mecum

But, after doing some research, I see other engines of this size easily doubling power output to about 100 hp. This one could be making more, and if you switch out the engine altogether to a more powerful unit like some guys do, you could have a 400 horsepower motor sitting in the back of a car that weighs less than 2,000 pounds.

But, I digress…

The most important thing about this little motor is its placement. It sits right over the rear wheels, and helps them hook up to get some awesome traction. Think about it, if the engine weighs 300 pounds, and is perfectly placed over the drive wheels, it will accelerate faster than most cars just because the rear wheels won’t be spinning as much.

So, what’s the takeaway from this case study?

Am I saying to go out and buy an old VW Beetle? Nah. Not unless that’s your cup of tea. But, there is a lesson to be learned here: Power to weight ratio is still one of the most important metrics you can use to measure performance, and adding weight to where it is needed is one of the smartest things you can do to get your car to hook up properly.

*Disclaimer: I’m not saying that a Bug with 100 hp can keep up with any of the cars listed here. However, what I am saying, is that a more powerful Bug can because of the power to weight ratio and how fast they hook up. It’s been done. Look it up on YouTube. There are countless videos of old Beetles smoking supercars. 

What’s your take on the matter? Are you a Bug person?