VW Beetle Cut In Half Drives Better Than You Think

"Half-Ass," as it is so aptly named, is perfect for a car that is ironically built as a show car/statement piece yet was so hastily put together from a pile of junk. Steve Lodi created this comical piece of automotive art to attract attention at car shows.

Half-Ass gained much attention; it has since set the social media world on fire from videos of it hilariously driving around, according to an article posted by Car and Driver. Far from the meticulous restoration process of show-quality Volkswagens, here is how Lodi half-assed his way into creating a profound automotive statement piece.

To materialize his vision, Lodi acquired a vintage Beetle and planned its transformation from a car headed to the scrap yard to a head-turning showpiece.

Outlining the Beetle's floor pan, Lodi meticulously handcrafted a custom chassis within it from one-inch square tubing, precisely measuring the dimensions to suit his intended purpose. He extensively modified a go-kart he bought from Facebook Marketplace to fit the custom-made chassis for use as steering components for the car.

"I had initially planned to use the go-kart chassis, but once I started taking measurements for everything that needed to go inside the body of the car, I realized that none of it was going to work. I actually had to shrink things down - it's much narrower inside than you would think because the front wheels need to be able to turn inside of the body," said Lodi.

Though seemingly innovative, Half-Ass is far from an original idea. Lodi drew inspiration from the video game glitch-looking Fiat Panda build he saw on YouTube.

Definitely not a match against a Golf GTI, the Half-Ass is powered by a mere 80cc Honda Elite scooter, contributing its engine, CVT transmission, hand controls, fuel system, handlebars, and brakes. The car's rear wheels were also repurposed from the scooter, while the front wheels had to be sourced from a hardware store as Lodi needed custom sizes to fit under the half-cut Volkswagen body.

Lodi soon dropped the Beetle body onto his custom-built chassis and made his final welds to mount it properly. He then built a custom wooden seat frame, slapped a pillow over it, bolted it inside, and called it a day. Steve didn't even paint Half-Ass, as its imperfections will be the build's highlight.

The result is an outrageous and funny-looking Beetle that looks submerged halfway through the pavement. It draws the attention of hundreds of thousands of car fans worldwide through social media, making it one of the coolest cars for a small guy to crawl into.

The "Half Ass" debuted at the Texas Versus the World event, turning heads and leaving an indelible impression, sparking a flurry of requests for similar hilarious creations.