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While off-road-oriented or even conventional SUVs and pickup trucks will often do the trick to help you traverse rugged and uneven terrain or wiggle out of a sticky situation, they can hardly compare to dedicated off-road vehicles such as dune buggies. Especially when it comes to the high-speed traversal of the said terrain. After all, as their name would suggest, dune buggies were created with sand speeding in mind.
The first dune buggies date back to the late 1950s when enthusiast California beachgoers started stripping their cars to bare bones and installing larger off-road tires. The trend soon caught up with more and more people, and the dune buggy revolution was ready for its onset. Naturally, dune buggies have evolved immensely over time, but their essence has remained the same, even after so many decades.
This time we’re looking at 10 of the best dune buggies money can buy. As you can imagine, the list will mostly be populated with modern-day models as they’re effectively more advanced and capable than their ancestors. However, we’ve still found a spot for a classic dune buggy or two.
Meyers Manx
I can hardly find a more proper model to start the list of best dune buggies of all time than the original buggy. Although not the first dune buggy ever devised, the Meyers Manx is the model that singlehandedly popularized dune buggies when it came out in the early 1960s. Originally a VW Beetle refit, the modern-day Manx showcases very few visual differences.
It’s available in several versions, though, with kits ranging from $2,400 for the classic model to $8,727 for the Manxter Dualsport units. The finished car, however, costs a lot more than that, usually in the $30,000 range. Nowadays, power comes from Subaru’s 2.5L Boxter engine cranking up 170 horsepower.
More details on Meyers Manx’s website.
Yamaha YXZ1000R SE
Although many contemporary dune buggies sport a proper stick shift nowadays, it was the Yamaha YXZ1000R that started the trend. Powered by a 998cc 3-cylinder engine, it generates a healthy 90 horsepower routed to the rear or all four wheels via a 5-speed sequential transmission.
The YXZ1000R SE weighs only 1,561 pounds and carries Fox shocks both at the front and around the back. The side-by-side costs $20,699, which might seem like a lot for its class but Yamaha’s motorsports reputation is priceless.
Joyner Sand Viper 1100cc EFI
Don’t let its petite frame and comparably small engine fool you. The Joyner Sand Viper is as capable on the dunes as the next buggy. Starting at around $11,000, it’s also one of the more affordable options out there. As its name would suggest, it boasts a 1083cc water-cooled 4-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection that’s good enough for 86 hp and 90 lb-ft of torque.
For extra fun, all of that power is routed to the rear via a 4-speed manual transmission. The top speed is limited to 70 mph, but that’s still more than plentiful for beginners and veterans alike.
More details on Joyner’s website.
Can-Am Maverick X3 X RS Turbo RR
This highly customizable side-by-side belongs in the upper echelon of Can-Am’s popular Maverick X3 series. It costs a whopping $27,599 in its base form or $29,299 if ordered with Can-Am’s in-house semi-active Smart-Shox suspension. Both models offer up to 24 inches of suspension travel to tackle the most challenging terrains.
Furthermore, a 195-horsepower Rotax turbocharged 900cc 3-cylinder twin engine offers industry-leading power output, which you’d be hard-pressed to find in many performance cars, let alone dune buggies.
Ariel Nomad
Designed on principle similar to the company’s first car, the Atom, the Nomad boasts an open-wheel setup, but its emphasis is on the off-road. Lightweight, durable, and most importantly, road-legal, the Nomad can be ordered in its more tame Sport form for $80,000 or the extreme Tactical trim, which will set you back a mere $92,250.
The main differences between the two are in their suspension and brakes, whereas the powertrain remains the same. Powered by Honda’s 2.4L 4-cylinder engine with a proper 6-speed stick shift, the Nomad generates 230 ponies and 200 pound-feet of twist. That’s enough to propel the 1,750-pounder to 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds.
Polaris RZR Turbo S 4
The Turbo S is the most powerful Polaris RZR side-by-side and boasts seating for up to four. The Polaris RZR Turbo S 4 starts from $25,199 and offers 168 horses thanks to a 925cc twin-cylinder turbocharged engine and 25 inches of pure, usable suspension travel. Speaking of suspension, the RZR is fitted with Fox shocks with electronically controlled damping, ensuring the best performance on any terrain.
BMS Sniper T-1500 4S
Unlike most common dune buggies, the BMS Sniper T-1500 4S boasts a four-seat cab at an affordable price of $14,588. Power comes from a 1500cc 4-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, delivering a healthy 108 horsepower.
If by chance, its 29-inch Mammoth tires fail you, a 3,000 lbs front winch will make sure to bail you out of any potentially unwanted situation. There’s also a full roof rack for added practicality, which is always welcome when traveling through the unknown.
More details on BMS’ website.
Tatum Dragon Sand Car
The Tatum Dragon is an off-the-rails sand speedster with an LS swap twist. With a 650-horsepower LS3 crate engine for a heart, this is much more than a mere dune buggy. A 428 cu in crate engine at its rear translates into a very non-dune buggy-like curb weight of 2,700 pounds. Fear not, though, as this barely impacts its performance.
With STU 35.5×17 paddle tires at the back and 12.50×17 Sand Masters in front, the Tatum Dragon eats sand for breakfast. The list of other standard and optional features is simply too long to write about, and so is its price. The two-seater starts just shy of $130,000, not for the faint of heart.
More details here!
Buckshot Racing X5R
The Buckshot Racing X5R is yet another straight-up ludicrous dune buggy with plenty of power and a corresponding price tag. Unlike the Tatum Dragon, the Buckshot X5R can be had in four different powertrain configurations: 510-hp or 600-hp LS2 setups and 580-hp or 750-hp LS7 configurations.
But that’s not all. Optional turbos can raise the final figure to a staggering 1,200 horsepower, which is more than most hypercars. On the other hand, the price tag of $130,000 is quite in line with the Tatum Dragon’s one.
More details here.
Zarooq SandRacer
The Zarooq SandRacer is not your run-of-the-mill dune buggy. Coming from UAE-based luxury boutique automaker Zarooq Motors, the SandRacer is a borderline exotic car in every sense of the word. The only aspect in which it diverges from the rest of the ultra-luxurious pack is its off-road purpose.
Don’t get your hopes high, though, as the Zarooq SandRacer still warrants an eye-watering sticker of around $465,000. That’s the price of the conventional 470-hp LT3-powered car at any rate (it can be supercharged up to 720 hp). There’ll also be an all-electric version mandating at least $545,000.
Note, however, that the Zarooq has bellied up at one point in 2018, so all future models (limited to 30 units) will henceforth be known as the Lafitte G-Tec X-Road.
More info here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are dune buggies four-wheel drive?
Most dune buggies made today are four-wheel drive. However, since Bruce Meyers based the original dune buggy on a VW Beetle, they used to all be all rear-wheel drive, as is the donor car.
That said, it’s not impossible to find classic models converted to 4-wheel drive, complete with a Subaru drivetrain and engine. Subaru swaps are popular for the Beetle and were carried over to the dune buggies. But today, any serious dune buggy with a purpose-built chassis will come with a 4WD drivetrain as standard, regardless of whether it produces 60hp or 1000hp. 2-wheel drive dune buggies are usually those with tiny 200cc engines and private builds
Last Words
Dune buggies are some of the most fun to drive off-road vehicles out there, and most of them are well within the average enthusiast’s reach, price-wise. They arguably provide the most bang for your buck with off-roading in mind. As witnessed above, however, plenty of those will easily break the bank and even some dune buggy/exotic car mashups. The dune buggy evolution is an ongoing process, and we can’t wait to see what the future will bring.
