- Brado’s Carbon Buggy uses a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis.
- Power comes from rear-mounted, air-cooled Volkswagen boxer engines.
- Buyers can choose two-seat or four-seat cabin layouts.
Italian startup Brado has revealed its first vehicle, and it is not another silent, screen-heavy electric lifestyle pod. Instead, the Carbon Buggy takes the classic dune buggy idea and gives it a very modern skeleton with a very old-school heart.
The project comes from Matias Mussetta and Andrea Mazzuca, with styling by Argentine designer Juan Manuel Diaz, whose previous work includes the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Audi R8 Spyder. The result is a compact, stripped-back leisure machine built around a carbon-fibre monocoque and powered by a rear-mounted, air-cooled Volkswagen boxer engine.
Small body, serious materials
The Carbon Buggy measures just 3310mm long, making it shorter than a Fiat 500. It is much wider at the rear, though, stretching 1810mm across the hips.
Visually, it keeps the beach-buggy basics intact: round headlights, simple surfacing, a tub-style body and a canvas roof. But underneath the playful shape sits more exotic construction.
The carbon monocoque is paired with an exposed rollover structure, while owners can choose between two-seat and four-seat layouts.
The cabin is deliberately light on distractions. There are no digital screens or high-tech driver aids, just physical controls and a single dial on the custom centre console. Premium leather, marine-grade fabrics and titanium accents bring the boutique bit, because even minimalism apparently needs a luxury options list.
Carburettors, manual gearbox, rear drive
Power comes from an air-cooled VW boxer engine, fed by twin carburettors and paired only with a manual gearbox.
The base 1.8-litre engine produces 63kW, while the 2.0-litre version lifts output to 82kW.
Those figures will not worry modern hot hatches, but that is not really the point. The appeal here is mechanical honesty: rear drive, low weight, open-air driving and no touchscreen asking whether you enjoyed your journey.
Brado fits adjustable oil/gas shock absorbers and disc brakes at all four corners. Buyers can also choose an Off-Road setup with BF Goodrich tyres or a Hybrid Street configuration on Cooper Cobra rubber.
Bespoke beach toy
The Carbon Buggy will be produced as a limited-series model aimed at luxury leisure buyers. Each example can be personalised, with customers treated as co-designers and able to specify details right down to the tint of the carbon weave.
Brado is not alone in reviving the buggy template. Meyers Manx now offers electric and high-output carbon-bodied interpretations, while the Callum Skye takes a more EV-focused approach to the same go-anywhere plaything idea.
Brado has not disclosed pricing, production numbers or market availability yet. But as a mission statement, the Carbon Buggy is clear enough: less software, more sand.
