Herbie the Hill Bug: My #Different Build

I want to do something mental. I want to make a car that blows every idea of a car out of the water and deep into space, where it continues going faster and faster without the limitations of air or gravity. I want to make a car that can corner just as well as it can accelerate, one that can spin like and top and launch like a bottle rocket as it flies around corners like a Styrofoam glider. I want something that can push boundaries so far that they can only be achieved by cars that are built off of the same, insane mindset that brilliantly forms such cars as these that use aerodynamic trickery and rubber thicker than several phone books to warp physics in its favor in order to obtain the fastest possible time and crown the driver the king of the hill.

I want to make a hill climb car.

Starting Point: Volkswagen Beetle (Herbie Look-Alike)

Utilizing this as the basis of a hill climb car would be a deranged thought, but there is method in this madness. The Beetle is renowned for its miniscule curb weight, being approximately 1,759 lbs., which can be reduced by taking out the rear seats, removing any unnecessary weight, utilizing lighter wheels, and removing the front and rear bumpers. I would also consider making the small “grilles/vents” near the headlights larger to supply better cooling to the power plant.

Along with choosing the Beetle comes the benefits of utilizing a rear-engine placement, which include better launches (due to the weight being more focused over the rear axle) and less weight being needed because of how the engine is closer to the axles its going to transmit its power to.

Engine: LT4 V8 (Modified)

The original flat-four that parted from the factory with the Beetle does well in ensuring great fuel economy numbers and earning the car its well-known longevity, but in such an application as this, it cannot supply enough power to compete with other cars built specifically for this task. To resolve this, one can swap a new engine into the car’s rear, with my choice being an LT4 plucked straight from the Z06’s production line.

With, for stock figures on the LT4 engine, 650 HP and 650 lb-ft of torque coming from 6.2 liters of an all-American V8 and 1.7 liters being utilized by a belt-driven supercharger, this is a gymnasium for the baldest of eagles that prides itself upon a pushrod valvetrain and such amenities as cylinder deactivation, direct injection, continuously variable valve timing, and a dry sump oil system.

To help the Beetle with accelerating quickly, the LT4 would receive a new intake, an improved supercharger, a better exhaust, a different camshaft, lighter pistons, and improved valves, Such upgrades would allow 831 HP and 728 lb-ft of torque to be unleashed upon the pavement as the motor revs to 7,500 RPM (the maximum redline for a stock LT4 is 6,600 RPM), with the engine now weighing 449 pounds.

Weight Reduction

While the car is, in stock form, impressively lightweight, it must shave many more pounds in order to make it capable of climbing a hill in the least amount of time possible. To do so, I would remove the rear seats, delete anything unnecessary, utilize lighter wheels, remove the front and rear bumpers, and removing the passenger seat such that the driver’s seat can be placed in the middle. If my estimates are correct, the weight of the car will be lowered to 1,374 pounds after all of these upgrades are performed to the car.

Chassis Extension

While the weight reduction would benefit the handling greatly, there is still the issue of much of the weight being distributed over the rear wheels, making the handling unstable; to remedy this, the chassis would be extended, and from there, the LT4 would be pushed forward to where the rear seats were, giving the engine a mid-rear placement.

All-Wheel Drive Conversion

Another method of improving the weight distribution in the Beetle would be an all-wheel drive system, which would benefit the car by also providing all of its power to four wheels. This system, which would be borrowed from the Peugeot 208 T16 Pike’s Peak car, would give the car the acceleration it needs in order to blast out of every corner at full speed.

Getrag 7DCL750 (Reinforced) Dual-Clutch Transmission

In order to gain this speed rapidly, a proper gearbox is needed, which is found in this seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. With seven gears, it can use the right amount of power in the right gear such that the caris able to fly forward without any limits, upshifting and downshifting rapidly thanks to the closer gear ratios. Reinforcement will be needed, however, because the transmission, in its stock form, can only take 750 Nm of torque, and it would have to be reinforced so it can handle 1,000 Nm of torque.

Porsche 935 "Moby Dick" Body Kit

The Porsche 935 has wide fenders, which would work well with the Hill Bug because of how the tires have to be wider to allow the power to be properly transmitted to the road and to grip it flawlessly. The wider fenders also provide the opportunity for the engine to receive a substantial amount of cooling, and the extended rear of the roof could be used to help protect the engine from the elements.

Pushrod Conversion

In the corners, the Beetle’s stock suspension would not allow it to handle as well as some hill climb cars, which would make a conversion to a pushrod suspension necessary in order to keep up with the competition. With the wider tires, the car can turn like a top thanks to the pushrod suspension, and it would be able to use the Formula One-based suspension to its maximum potential.

OZ Ultraleggera Wheels

To reduce the weight further, lighter wheels should be used, with these wheels being ideal. With OZ making wheels for Formula One cars, their lightweight racing wheels are ideal for this situation, allowing large amounts of rubber to be applied to them while reducing weight from the car.

Michelin Pilot Sport GT S9L Tires

The thick rubber that would be applied to such wheels would be Michelin racing slicks, specifically the Pilot Sport GT S9L in the 31/71-18 variant. Not only is this rubber fairly wide, it is also a purpose-built racing slick from a company that has expertise and success with their tires in motorsport-based applications.

Brembo Carbon-Ceramic Brakes

Brembo’s carbon-ceramic brakes are known for a lack of fade and extreme braking distances. For this car, the rotors would be 345 millimeters in diameter and 28 millimeters in thickness, and the slotted rotors would be accompanied by track brake pads and red calipers to further decrease braking distances and increase longevity.

Aerodynamic Additions

To handle well, the car needs some more additions, including the front and rear suppliers from the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak race car. The diffuser would also come from it, and the exhaust would spout from the 935-based rear of the cockpit so the exhaust can hit the spoiler while the air is going over it. A roof scoop would also be needed to supply more cooling for the supercharged V8 engine so the car has better performance and endurance.

Sparco Six-Point Racing Harness

To protect the driver in an accident, a six-point racing harness is necessary, which will keep the driver reliably and safely strapped into the seat.

Recaro Profi Racing Seat

There is going to be one seat inside of the Beetle, and it is going to be this one. With its low weight, it will benefit the car with staying quick in every corner and straight while helping the driver focus, being made by a company that has experience with racing applications, Recaro.

Momo FWM/02 Racing Wheel

Momo’s racing wheels are known for their light weight, and the wheel above provides that along with lap times, adjustible controls, and the gear. Along with this, the two paddles needed for the gearbox are present, allowing the driver to rapidly change gear in mere milliseconds while providing lights that indicate when to shift.

Jegster 943905K Roll Cage

Built to work with the Volkswagen Beetle, the Jegster roll cage is needed for safety and stability in the case of an accident, primarily keeping the drier safe in the case of a rollover while also stabilizing the car in a corner to make it more rigid and corner more quickly.

Supercharger Boost Gauge

With the upgraded engine, the supercharger should be monitored in order to ascertain that it is working correctly and providing the correct amount of boost to the eight cylinders that create this power.

Thank you guys for reading my #BlogPost! What do you guys think of my build? If you want to submit your own build for a car, post it with the hashtag #Different!