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You have almost certainly seen it cross your Instagram or TikTok feed: a VW Beetle, sliding along the parking lot as if it’s half-submerged, roof like a shark fin in the shallows. What is it? Who built it? Why?”I wanted it to look like a car that was so low, it had basically just ground itself down into the pavement,” says Steve Lodi of Dallas, Texas, which answers the second and third questions at least. The former glass blower turned Volkswagen tuner tells us that he typically builds VWs with glossy paint jobs and trick air suspensions, but this time around he wanted to do something a little different. “I didn’t want it to look special or modified in any other way, and I think that’s why it works. When I first started posting pictures of it, people were saying that I must have poured concrete around it, or that it was in water. They didn’t quite understand what was going on.” Dubbed the “Half Ass,” the build blends Lodi’s interest in all things VW with his love of wild fabrication projects, the latter of which began in the early 2000s when he decided to turn a Honda Civic sedan into a pickup truck. “That project really got me into the idea of changing cars up rather than just modifying them, and turning them into what I wanted them to be.” Lodi’s stable also includes a meticulously restored ’58 Beetle on a ’67 chassis powered by a 1759cc stroker engine, and he says that a big part of his motivation to embark on the Half Ass project was to have a car that he didn’t have to worry about at shows. One of the shinier toys in Lodi’s garage. Steve Lodi”I wanted something that I didn’t have to watch like a hawk to make sure that it’s not getting fingerprints or door dings. If you bump into this thing, you’re going to improve it.” Inspired by a similarly vertically challenged Fiat Panda project by Italian YouTube channel Carmagheddon, Lodi started putting the feelers out for a cheap Beetle body earlier this summer and eventually secured a collection of rusty parts from a ’74 Standard. To determine just how far he could take things, he lay on the ground and measured how high his head would need to be in order to see out of the windshield. After using a laser level to ensure that he’d get a clean line all the way around the car, out came the Sawzall and cut-off wheel. “There was a big Volkswagen show coming up, Texas Versus the World, and I wanted to get it finished in time to bring it there,” he explains. “People would come by the shop while I was working on it, and I kept telling them not to take any pictures of it. I wanted it to be kind of a surprise.” Steve LodiUnderpinning the body is a chassis that Lodi hand-fabricated from one-inch square tubing, which he outfitted with the steering shaft and spindles from a used go-kart that he found on Facebook Marketplace. “I had initially planned to use the go-kart chassis, but once I started taking measurements for everything that needed to go inside the body of the car, I realized that none of it was going to work. I actually had to shrink things down—it’s much narrower inside than you would think because the front wheels need to be able to turn inside of the body.”The running gear comes from an 80 cc Honda Elite scooter, which donated its engine, transmission, throttle controls, and fuel system to the project, along with its handlebars and brakes. The Beetle’s rear wheels were also borrowed from the scooter, while the fronts were sourced from Harbor Freight. Although the bodywork was completed in August, Lodi had to focus on customer projects until just a few days before the September 16th event. “The show was on a Saturday, and I started making everything and putting it all together on the Wednesday before that,” he recalls. “I was awake for about 40 hours between Friday morning and Saturday night. But if I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it, and I told people that the car was going to be there.” Judging by the response it received at Texas Versus the World, it seems to have been well worth the effort. “I think I collectively drove it about a mile at the show, and every time I took it out, everyone stopped in their tracks and got their phones out,” he says. “And that’s exactly what I built it for—something to have fun with at shows, something I didn’t need to baby.” This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.In the time since the event, footage of the Half Ass has amassed millions of views on social media, and Lodi says that a number of folks have reached out asking him to build something similar for them. Although he says that this particular project is essentially done, there are a few finishing touches that he’d like to add. “It’s tough to transport. You can’t really put it on a trailer because you’d need the world’s longest ramps, so I’m going to fabricate up some removable handles that go on the side, so you can kind of carry it into and out of a truck bed or something like that. And I should probably make an actual seat for it; right now it’s just a piece of wood strapped to the frame with a pillow on it.” More on Old Beetles More

By fitting an electric powertrain into an original Mini, David Brown Automotive’s Mini eMastered takes a 1960s classic into the futurePower comes from an 18.8-kWh battery pack with a 97-hp electric motor. Most importantly, this Mini restomod remains a featherweightThe cost is considerable, but a host of customization options make this little car special.Situated just a scone’s throw from the Silverstone racing curcuit, Northampton-based David Brown Automotive (DBA) is a specialist at coaxing out the best of 1960s Britain. Previous creations include the thoroughly modernized yet coachbuilt Aston Martin DB5–inspired Speedback GT and a variety of restomodded original Minis. The latest new model is called the Mini eMastered, and it brings the classic pint-sized urban terrier into the battery-electric era.The eMastered is fitted with an 18.8 kWh battery which is paired with an electric motor producing 97 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque. The torque’s a hefty dollop of grunt for a car this small, but the power rating isn’t far off what a decent tuner can get out of the 1275 cc combustion engine you got in later Cooper models. The real headline here is the 1410-pound curb weight, which is basically identical to the original.David Brown AutomotiveKeeping the battery pack small does limit the range to a still useful 110 miles, but what a cracking little London runabout this thing would be. It’d slip through the city’s Ultra Low Emssions Zone (ULEZ), scampering around corners and fitting into narrow parking bays. DBA claims a 60 mph time of under 8.5 seconds, but with that electric torque, this Mini could really scorch around the financial district on a Sunday morning. Then, pop down to your local pub while the eMastered recharges, which takes about three hours on a 6.6kW AC charger.David Brown AutomotiveWith endless options for customization to create a truly bespoke EV restomod Mini experience, the eMastered really does seem like a Cockney-accented delight. There is, however, the matter of the the cash required to buy it. The eMastered is sized like Piglet but priced like a Heffalump. At $155,000, converted from U.K. currency, you might need to pull your own gold bullion heist before ordering one.Still, as a thoroughly future-proofed and impeccably built version of one of the most charismatic cars ever made, the eMastered is charming. Sure, you could spend the same amount and get some 4000-pound EV crossover with more power, range, and performance. But with a proper Mini, less is more.David Brown AutomotiveMore about MiniContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

Built as a homologation special for Group A rallying, the Lancia Delta Integrale could be considered the ultimate Italian hot hatchback.All-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine provide grip and go in all conditions.This example is a limited edition, of which 310 were built.Car and DriverQuick! What company has the most WRC championships? Subaru? Mitsubishi? Audi? Nope. The surprising answer is plucky little Lancia, an Italian automaker that punched above its weight for ages. And there’s no better expression of that rally-bred spirit than the boxy, brawny, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Lancia Delta Integrale.Up for auction on Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of the Hearst Autos—is a limited edition Delta Integrale built to commemorate Lancia’s sixth WRC championship. It’s number 272 of a run of 310 versions called the Martini 6 Evoluzione and features a lovely Martini racing livery over white paint, and a stunning turquoise interior with red accents.Bring a TrailerThe ordinary Delta was introduced in 1979, and as you’ve probably guessed from its squared-off styling, it was penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro—the designer behind the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and the DeLorean DMC-12. Lancia built a Group B version of the Delta that shared nothing with the road car; then, when Group B was canceled for being too dangerous, it produced a homologated road car to meet the rules of Group A rallying.Bring a TrailerThe first Delta Integrale arrived in 1988 and had the same recipe you see in modern WRC rally cars today. All-wheel drive was standard, and in this 1992 example, a Torsen limited-slip rear end is also present. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine, which in this Evoluzione version makes 207 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is a five-speed manual.Bring a TrailerIf you’re thinking “Italian WRX,” you’re not far off. With its 15-inch Speedline wheels and adjustable rear spoiler that sticks straight up like the tail of a fox terrier, this pressurized shoebox is pure rally-car fun. The closest modern equivalent is probably the Toyota GR Corolla, and as a practical classic, a Delta Integrale is equally as useful every day. It’s a practical four-door hatchback for running to the grocery store, and then driving home like your pants are on fire. Whoops, broke all the eggs again. Mi scusa.Bring a TrailerDelta Integrales are quite collectible, and this limited edition Martini version is even more so. At this writing, the bidding is knocking on the door of $100,000. The auction ends September 26.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More