Dune buggies

TRANSPORT

“ As the surface is generally loose and uneven, a dune buggy must be light, have good traction and move swiftly”

Dune buggy engineering

Find out how these nimble off-roaders have been specially adapted to make light work of a terrain where most vehicles would quickly get stuck

Dune buggies are vehicles that have been specially adapted to traverse sandy terrain. As the surface is generally loose and uneven, a dune buggy must be light, have good traction and move swiftly.

Dune buggies fi rst became popular in the Sixties when predominantly American enthusiasts would convert air-cooled VW Beetles for off-road use due to their simplicity to modify and maintain. However, today’s dune buggies are specifi cally engineered vehicles in their own right, delivering performance as well as practicality. This is achieved via a chassis welded to a reinforced steel rollcage. As well as being a key safety device should the vehicle tip over, the main advantages of a rollcage over a solid roof is that it keeps the vehicle light and helps keep the occupants cool.

Engines are usually borrowed from small cars or even motorbikes, ideal for their high revs that provide plenty of pulling power. The engine tends to sit behind the driver and parallel with the rear axle to help spread weight between the two rear tyres.

Wide tyres are used with a very low pressure to ensure they cover a greater surface area. As the ground is so uneven, suspension shocks with huge travel are used to help absorb as much of the harsh ride as possible. The vehicle is operated via pedals and a rack-and-pinion steering column, like a normal car.

Today, dune buggies are mainly used in competitions, though there are more sedate models which can be hired by tourists. The military has also employed these vehicles for operations in desert regions.

Built for the desert

Check out the key features that make a dune buggy so well suited to travel over sand

Rollcage

Usually made from steel, this forms the upper body of the dune buggy and protects the riders should the vehicle fl ip.

Nature’s dune buggy

Camels long preceded the dune buggy and have proved just as capable, if somewhat slower, as a form of transport in sandy environments. Much like the tyres on a dune buggy, camels have adapted to this terrain thanks to large, padded feet that spread their weight over a greater surface area, enabling them to walk on top of the loose surface. Their woolly coat keeps them cool during the day and warm at night, while long eyelashes, hairy ears and slitted nostrils keep sand at bay. They have also evolved to cope with the lack of natural resources by storing fat in their humps as well as water and broken-down food in their stomach lining, so they can keep going for days without nourishment.

Engine

A high-revving engine is fi tted at the rear of the buggy to reduce the risk of sand entering it.

Suspension

These have long travel and soft damping settings to provide as comfortable a ride as possible when traversing uneven surfaces.

Tyre pressure

The tyres typically have a low pressure to cover more of the surface, spreading weight and providing more traction.

Lights

Much brighter than normal car headlights to compensate for the lack of any artifi cial light when off-road and housed in rugged casing to shield the glass.

Rear tyres

To aid weight distribution, wider tyres are installed at the back to counter the mass of the rear-mounted engine.