More than half a century ago, Bruce Meyers captured the essence of the 1960s California beach vibe with his Meyers Manx dune buggy. For less than a thousand bucks, anyone with basic mechanical skills and access to a junkyard VW Beetle could grab a piece of the California dream. Now Kia is revisiting the regional-demographic/off-road-focused premise with its Forte Koup Mud Bogger, a concept said to represent the American South and its inhabitants’ love for getting “dirty on four wheels.”
It’s all about the tire when it comes to running mud, and the Mud Bogger’s 28-inch off-road rubber certainly looks capable of slinging some serious sludge. Mounted on bright-white wheels, the look is equal parts agricultural and industrial, with a smidge of commercial ATV thrown in for good measure. Clearing the combo required a four-inch body and suspension lift and trimming the fenders; massive fender flares are riveted in place in an effort to keep the spray somewhat contained. A white tubular front bumper matches the wheels and, intentionally or not, does a bang-up job of channeling the unit found on the star of the ’70s Saturday-morning TV show Wonderbug.
To prepare the interior for action, the carpet was removed and the entire floor covered in Line-X protective coating, a roll cage (powder-coated to match the wheels, natch) was installed, and a set of Sparco Evo II racing seats were bolted on in place of the stock units. A vinyl pushback top was fitted to ensure no passengers return to base unscathed by the torrent of mud.
This being SEMA, you shouldn’t need to be reminded that the Forte Koup Mud Bogger is just a concept, although it would make for one of the best special-edition cars we’ve ever seen. Should Kia offer any more details on the Bogger during the show, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
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