The VW Westfalia reborn!
We love the VW Westfalia camper van so much that we included it in our list of Top 10 Ways To Motor Your Home. The GermanCarBlog just found a French Canadian designer who is trying to revive the Westfalia and looking for a corporate partner to help him. Alexandre Verdier designed his new Westfalia with all the charm of the original and even more functionality, if that's possible. The pop top's still there, but it rises straight up now instead of tilting and is covered in solar panels. The front passenger seat converts its seat back into stairs leading to the upper level, and when raised an awning can be pulled out from either side of the top (it even has insect netting!). Other updated features include a kitchenette that swings completely out of the van and a storage drawer in the back for a set of folding chairs. The design is ultra modern with flush surfaces, a near pillarless greenouse, and what appears to be LED lighting. Unlike the original, we assume this Westfalia's engine would be located ahead of the front axle based on the intake vents in the front fascia.
Though Verdier's Westfalia is still very much a proof of concept, he is currently looking for a company to partner with and build a running prototype.
Don't forget to check out the video of the Verdier Westfalia at the designer's site, and more pics of the concept after the jump.
[Source: Verdier.ca via GermanCarBlog]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
steve 9:40PM (8/29/2006)
i would so rock that and bonus points w/ 4x4
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Al Eisensteinium 8:46PM (8/29/2006)
I like it, other than the fact that the driver would be the first one on the scene of the accident. Having a bit more crush space and mass in front would be good things, but style trumps all, no?
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jim 1:15PM (8/30/2006)
This Westie proposal has been kicking around VW camper/van discussion groups for around three years. Its neat, everyone loves it, except VW who can't summon the desire to bring the T5 Eurovan to the US.
But we will get a badge engineered Caravan/T&C from the boys in Highland Park. Now isn't that just peachy.
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Dr1v3r 8:56PM (8/29/2006)
I'd buy one. Make it a simple diesel and all-wheel drive. I love my Element, but wow that's a modern day hippy wagon if I ever saw one.
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farris 8:58PM (8/29/2006)
I like the kitchen idea!
>>The front passenger seat converts its seat back into stairs leading to the upper level...
I'm assuming this means that the top raises to make a second "floor," which begs the question: Isn't the idea of the popped top to increase headroom? This thing would have to be 2 stories tall with a setup like that!
AND, the top would have to be reinforced a lot. Otherwise, you would have *ahem* larger people falling through the top all the time.
I wonder what the signigance of the blue lines on the tires are. It seems like a new form of whitewalls, and I, for one, like it.
Overall, a nice concept, but a few flaws here and there.
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Tim UF 9:42PM (8/29/2006)
whats with the Tron wheels?
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dave 9:45PM (8/29/2006)
where's all the dumb comments from iquack?
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Mike from Scarborough 10:58PM (8/29/2006)
what a f&%$ing awesome design.Too bad they won't bring back the Microbus here.I Dream of dumping my Pickup work truck for one of these.
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DPC RC videos 11:30PM (8/29/2006)
I have to get out of this apartment and buy one of these when they come out, looks great and very efficient.
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Sasha 11:53PM (8/29/2006)
OH GODGODGOD, but that is SO F@()(#$* BADASS! I don't like VW much, but I would snap one of those in an instant. Esp if it was diesel w/ AWD available! Stow your SVO tanks in that drawer where those chairs are. Talk about a love mobile, I wouldn't come back to the city for months. Build it, design it well, and you'll sell a million. Bus long RVs are so freakin stupid, and they look like such a pain in the ass to drive (except for that hulking australian military 4x4 one, that shit was bad - and beautiful). Honestly, a Gallardo or CCX or whatever is only more fun than this if you don't have a working pecker ;)
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Mark 12:00AM (8/30/2006)
Hate to be the one to say it, but old, old, old news... I remember seeing this design at least a year or two ago, when a westfalia luvin' buddy of mine sent the linkage my way.
Now whether VW had decided to do something about it in the intervening years, I don't know anything about - that would be news.
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Mark 12:03AM (8/30/2006)
Addendum: it looks like they're still tweaking the design - now that I recall it more clearly, the version I saw a few years ago (by the same guy) had actually more gizmos and gee-whiz stuff. Looks like some of that was stripped out to make it more feasible.
IIRC, when I saw this originally, it had a full bbq unit that would transformerize out of the van, a more detailed sink / cleaning station, and other stuff.
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TDIMeister 5:26AM (8/30/2006)
Cool, I'd totally buy this as a full-time live-in than an urban condo.
That means all it's missing is a fully functional shower and toilet, and I'd accept a larger package to have them :)
Couple that with a VAG 5-cylinder TDI running vegetable oil or Biodiesel, and I'll be a modern-day hippy although I was born in the 70s.
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Bob 7:51AM (8/30/2006)
I had buy that one. It has really good design.
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Justin 8:26AM (8/30/2006)
that drawer/trunk thing coming out of the back appears to be a physical impossibility (then again could just be the angles of the shots. Other than that i like it.
I want to know the significance of the Tron wheels as well.
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lwcarson 8:40AM (8/30/2006)
Awesome!
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Richard Warren 1:02PM (8/30/2006)
I'm in, wayyyyyyyy in.
I totally agree with #9's comment: OH GODGODGOD, but that is SO F@()(#$* BADASS!
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Ligor Manushi 10:21AM (8/30/2006)
biggest POS i've seen in a while.
please spare the US from this ugly as they come POS, please
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Anthem 10:20AM (8/30/2006)
The tires seem to be some sort of idealized variation of the Michelin E.A.P tire system: pretty cool stuff!
http://www.jamesowendesign.com/michelin2.html
As for the concept itself- who the hell cares? There are so many differrent types of vehicles for some many different types of lifestyles, this is just another drop in the world wide mud puddle of auto making.
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RacetrackOwner 11:09AM (8/30/2006)
How did I accidentally wander into PretendCarBlog?
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