The VW Beetle: bringing out the animal in extreme modification

When it comes to car modifications, some vehicles are naturally better suited to modification than others. And the iconic lines of the VW Beetle ensure it’s one such car.

The humble VW has long been a favorite of tuners and modifiers the world over, in both its original and more modern guises. Some of these are rather unsurprising, such as stretched limo variants, or (given its relatively small size) Andretti Autosport’s rallycross version.

But these merely represent the rather conservative tip of an iceberg that has more than its fair share of wackiness below the waterline, where more daring individuals have used this popular little car as a means to express their creativity.

One recurring theme you see is animals. Of course, the styling of the Beetle helps a lot here: between the organically smooth curves of its body, eye-like headlights and nose-like bonnet, the Beetle is already blessed with a cute, cuddly, animal-like appearance. As a result, everything from mice to turtles have served as the inspiration for Beetle modders.

But it’s not just enthusiasts that are giving VW’s classic and its more modern remakes animalistic makeovers. A great case in point is online casino, RoyalPanda.com, and its BetMobile: this promises to give the old-New Beetle a full-fur restyle to (in line with the name) deliver a car that essentially looks like a royal panda, which one of its players can win. And naturally, the car will be fully road legal.

And with VW’s Beetle still going strong in its third major iteration, long may it continue.