This Buggy Is As Mad As It Is Minimalist
Off-road buggies are some of the most insane vehicles on Earth. They go fast, they do so on any kind of terrain, and they take an insane beating. One of the few ways they could be more crazy, is if they were less of a protective cage, and more like an open cart. That’s part of what makes this machine, called the Reboot Buggy, so cool. The other parts, are surprisingly more sophisticated, since it’s just as much an art piece as it is a silly toy.
Chevrolet
Founded in 1903, Chevrolet is one of America’s oldest remaining legacy automakers. Acquired by General Motors in 1918, Chevrolet is the core GM brand responsible for the bulk of GM’s US sales. As a mass-market manufacturer, Chevrolet competes in multiple key segments, primarily the SUV and truck segments, but also sports cars and mainstream sedans and hatchbacks (until recently). Core models for the brand include the Silverado, Colorado, Suburban, Camaro, and Corvette.
- Founded
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November 3, 1911
- Founder
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Louis Chevrolet, Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant
- Headquarters
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Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Owned By
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General Motors
- Current CEO
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Mary Barra
Created By An Industrial Designer
Looking at the Reboot Buggy and its parts, it seems more like the kind of thing you’d get from a hot rodder than an industrial designer. It’s a simple steel frame on top of a big engine and serious suspension. The GM small-block V8 sits in the middle, just behind the seats, and it sends power through just a three-speed automatic to a limited-slip rear differential. According to the builder, Joey Ruiter, it made 470 horsepower. The suspension is fully independent with remote-reservoir King shocks and apparently has around 25 inches of travel. The 18-inch wheels are wrapped in huge 40-inch mud-terrain tires, and it has a winch for when the going gets too tough for even this machine.
As it turns out, though, Joey Ruiter wasn’t looking as much for a mad hot rod, and more a take on classic carriages and horses. The idea is more about distilling a car down to the bare essentials it would need to exist, maybe even without a driver. Here’s an excerpt from his description of the vehicle:
“Reboot Buggy explores the concepts of minimalism and the experience of the road. Electronics? Self-parking? Bluetooth? Forget about it. That’s not the point. It was originally designed without a driver in mind, and it is an exploration that challenges current car design principles. It was built with common parts. The engine placement and wheelbase are for the sake of the car, not the driver.”
Ruiter Is All About Minimalism
The straight lines and bare-bones interior of the Reboot Buggy are all signatures of Ruiter. The designer clearly has a thing for taking minimalism to the maximum with all of his creations, but especially vehicles. Two of his more famous ones are the Moto Undone, and the Consumer Car. The Moto Undone is a motorcycle that’s entirely enclosed in perfectly polished aluminum panels. Depending on how it’s viewed, it almost doesn’t look like the rider is sitting on anything. The Consumer Car is a bare and boxy convertible. It lacks any kind of instrumentation or ornamentation. Its purpose is for the car to take as little attention as possible so that occupants can focus purely on the world around them and the driving experience.
If you’re feeling the minimalist vibes, we have some good news. The Reboot Buggy is currently available to purchase. It’s listed on Cars & Bids for a couple more days. It’s even street-legal, so you can share the car with the world on public roads.
Source: Cars & Bids, J. Ruiter
