Bruce Meyers, the creator of the Meyers Manx in the 1960s, sadly passed away earlier this year. But the greatest automotive legends often create influential vehicles that continue to inspire modern cars, even if they do so indirectly. The Manx inspired the off-road version of the original Volkswagen Beetle - the lovable but tough-as-nails Baja Bug which was conceived by Gary Emory. Now, Gary Emory's son, Rod Emory, is ready to introduce the next chapter of unlikely off-roaders with the Baja Macan. Yes, it's an off-road version of the Porsche Macan SUV and it's inspired by the Baja Bug.
Rod Emory broke the news of his Baja Macan on Instagram a few days ago and noted that the design concepts have existed since 2016. However, the project is finally being brought to life now. "We have the perfect donor for our #BajaMacan that is inspired by the original Baja Bug," said Emory. "I know most people are playing with the Cayenne but the Macan is by far my favorite SUV on road and I can't wait to make it my favorite off-road."
Emory shared pictures of the design concept which shows a Macan dramatically lifted and sitting on some serious off-road rubber from BFGoodrich. Also visible are extra spotlights and an aggressive front bull bar.
Protecting the underbody, we can also see some skid plates installed. The stock Macan was never designed to be a serious off-roader so Emory and his team would need to do some extensive tuning to get it ready for potentially competing in the Baja desert race in Mexico.
No technical details were shared by Emory so it's not clear what would be powering the Baja Macan but the end result should be an exciting one. After all, if the Porsche 911 can be transformed into a legitimate off-roader, then why not the higher-riding Macan SUV?