As a final installation in our coverage of Indonesia’s Jogja Volkswagen Festival, I wanted to take a closer look at an example of arguably the most loved VW – the Beetle.
Not only is it the single most manufactured car in the world, it also has an incomparable amount of cultural cache, resulting in a group of owners with a passion for the vehicle unlike anything I’ve seen before. Indonesia is no exception, and this creation dubbed Si Oren (Indonesian for The Orange), is a perfect example of people continuing to have fun with the Type 1 platform.
First impressions are hard to shake, and from the moment I saw the Beetle on the Expo Centre floor its 911 aspirations were clear. It’s not like I had to use much imagination; a rich orange hue reminiscent of the 997 GT3 and original Fuchs wheels are a dead giveaway!
Of course, the biggest hint is the huge GT3-style spoiler playing a dual role as the deck lid. Pleasantly though, Tito, the owner of the Bug, has shown relative restraint and created something that retains all the original charm of the Beetle as opposed to creating a 911 replica, which is never a good idea.
As Jeremy Clarkson loves to constantly remind us though, the 911 does share a family tree with the Beetle. I’m unsure (and uncaring) of what purists will think, but in my mind this gives Tito’s creation plenty of credibility.
The base for this build is what is known as a Super Beetle. The ‘Super’ prefix denotes that this car came from factory with a slightly larger nose and some enhanced components including a 1600cc engine, front disc brakes and beefed-up suspension. Not quite a factory GT3, but a great starting point for a performance build.
And a performance build this is. The snaking exhaust headers hang low and proud beneath the rear bumper-line and make it clear that there’s plenty of go to match Si Oren’s show.
Lifting up the deck lid reveals the power unit that’s been tweaked by Bandung-based tuners Boscha Motorsport to provide some more appropriate motive force. Internally, an 8-dowel CB Performance 69mm crank connects to 5.4-inch I-beam rods and 87mm AA pistons to raise the compression ratio to 9.1:1. Ported and polished 041 heads feature upgraded cams, cam gears and enlarged stainless valves.
Breathing is managed by dual Dellorto 45mm carburettors matched to the intake manifolds, which are also from the Italian company and ported by Bimo. To complete the extremely clean and functional engine bay, a 911-style fan was installed to boost cooling capabilities.
At the other end, any luggage space has been sacrificed in the name of a stiffened front section. Also of note to serious Type 1 enthusiasts is the OEM windscreen washer reservoir; I’m told this is an extremely rare luxury for Beetle owners!
A Berg 5-speed transmission is linked to a 1974 independent rear suspension rear end which gives the Bug a much more modern and sporting driving feel.
This is Your Captain SpeakingIf you think things have been pretty tame, strap yourself in because the interior is where things really get crazy for Si Oren.
There’s no point skirting the issue – there are a lot of gauges in here. In almost every available space (with the exception of the handsome black dashboard) a switch, digital readout or analogue gauge has been added. There will certainly be no excuses for being unaware of an engine malady from this driver’s seat.
Tito is a pilot with a huge passion for everything aeronautical, and his inspiration for the Beetle’s cabin is the instrumentation-filled cockpit of a Boeing 737-900ER. It’s excessive for my tastes, but I love that the owner has done exactly what he wanted to achieve the desired driving environment.
I took plenty of time to survey each and every readout, and as far as I could tell all were functional. What really caught my eye was this retro-looking NOS ‘Progressive Nitrous Controller’ mounted below the primary gauge panel. And yes, it’s functional when a bottle of N2O is installed, although one wasn’t during this shoot.
Even the factory speedometer has been upgraded for a 240km/h replacement; for this level of performance the original 160km/h dial would be insufficient to say the least.
Peer behind the drivers seat and rollcage and you’re met with a veritable catalogue of MSD products to manage the engine’s ignition systems and nicely round out the feeling of being inside some sort of airplane.
Sure, it’s got an element of quirkiness, but the combination of a great base vehicle, proven performance modifications and an injection of the owner’s personality are a recipe for success. Indonesia’s modification scene may still be young, but I can’t wait to see the new crop of customs turning out for the next JVWF event in 2017!
Blake Jones
Instagram: blaketjones
blake@speedhunters.com
Nice car, but 1640cc engine is not up to the looks, especially with the deceptive "2.2" sticker on the side window.
It's well done, and cool looking, but... Why are the carbs rotated? And while the gauge setup makes the 12yr old in my heart giggle with joy, why all the random not-connected ignition hardware? I see 3 coils and 2 ignition controllers. The clutter is really only fun if it's all actually doing something.
Also, I know the Porsche type fan shroud doesn't cool as well as the doghouse, but good god does it ever look fantastic.
Yo chief, "Blake Jones".
Need to see a video. This thing is NUTS. So, a little vid, one time.
Thanks
I love this Beetle, really unique - love it <3
I love how he stuck with the beetle engine and tuned the shit out of it. Nice one
No word on HP?
wow its pretty terrible and the only restraint shown in this car is its lack of graphics and the low hp engine.
Why does it have two ignition boxes and 3 coils?
Take off that hideous wing all those pointless lights and gauges and remove all the stickers and extra license plate I would drive it.
It's still a Beetle
oneslyfox A very cool Beetle.
I think it was to clear the fan
@VonMoldy The owner has probably rushed to his tool box to oblige your demands for the privilege and honor of saying you drove his car. You're so generous...and a dick.
And it's possible he runs a different ignition box when he uses nitrous? Wish they could give more info in these articles
I was loving this until that Tac...
Other than that, it's a very cool car. Very Porsche-like.
Speedhunters Cool Beetle. Thanks Blake.
This car is obnoxious and owns it proudly. The mechanical detailing is awesome.
There should be a TT setup to match with the cockpit...
Lots of people in Indonesia seem to like this style. This is how the living room of Indonesian guys like him looks like: http://www.nesovski.com/aboutMe/LivingRoom_stereo_2015_1.jpg
This thing is bonkers, absolutely love it. Perfect mix of heritage, resto-modding, and personalization. Great find Blake!
Any side-pro shots of this thing? Would love to see how the bumpers and wing add to the lines.
The corolla has now taken over the title as the most sold car.
4 shift lights and 2 low oil warning lights, 3 coils and 2 ignition boxes. Being a pilot I assume hes use to having back up systems and carried that over to the car. Simplify the interior and remove the wing and Id be more interested, but its not mine and hes enjoying it. Im surprised no one has said anything about starting with a Super Beetle...or did those become cool when I wasnt looking. haha
@Truhidden the corola has had many diffrent body types as the aircooled beetle has stayed the same mostly since 1936-2003 just with some bumper and window changes
"Speedhunters: A Super Beetle, Indonesia style. More: http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/01/bimo-super-beetle-ready-for-take-off http://twitter.com/Speedhunters/status/685953233047678976/photo/1" Campervan_Andy saw in ur pics 2day
Umm. My 2 cents, leave everything as it is, and love it as it is. That's why we have a diversity in car culture, it's not built to please everybody's taste, neither it's possible to do so... I would buy it if I had access...
@chris chabre NO BIG WANG GANG? Lmao I can imagine he gets a lot of crap for that but I like it.
@VonMoldy You can't call the car terrible man chill out.
@ShamWerks Thats his 0-60 MPH time...
Holy shift light over load! How would you even know what light is for what warning with 38 of the things.
IRONWOLF RD ye, it just spoke to me - balanced and a bit bonkers in equal measures. I completely neglected to grab a profile photo, unfortunately.
Gash haha!
NigelPacheco No video this time unfortunately. I've been trying to capture more video on shoots as I agree, hearing a car run really completes the picture.
I'd run that!
"Tito is a pilot with a huge passion"
NO.... TITO is Not A Pilot, he is just a Pilot in his Mind,...
2mins, 2secs? It's a 1641...
I hope Nakai-san met this dude and discussing about Si Oren...
@titos buddy Haha! Guess that was lost in translation. Maybe his next project will have wings!
Whats that little black box aboive the Porsche shroud?
the car was very good
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Can someone please tell me where I can get this 911 style wing/decklid???