Autopia 2099 helped me see an EV future where car culture was still possible. The display of electric cars was impressive, and I loved them all in their own way. However, as the self-christened Magistrate of the West Coast High Court of Dubber, I naturally floated toward the two off-road Volkswagen ID.4s that were plopped into display at the show. Watching them from afar, I awaited an opportunity to get a better photo of them. Little did I know that I would get a photo of my own car next to one.
- Car: 2010 Volkswagen GTI, aka “Six Iron”, 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro “Rebelle”
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Photog: Chris Rosales (@chrishasacamera Twitter, Insta)
This ID.4 isn’t just another boring EV Volkswagen crossover, it has motorsport provenance. Specifically, it competed in the 2021 Rebelle Rally, an all-women navigational competition across the Mojave Desert spanning eight days. In total, 52 teams competed in the event, and this ID.4 belonged to Team Volkswagen, number 211, helmed by Mercedes Lilienthal and guided by Emily Winslow.
There was another ID.4 there that competed in the Baja 1000, but that is for another story. This car and team braved a harsh Rebelle, with whipping winds, sand-stung faces, and danger within every dust storm. That spirit of resilience is obvious when the car is still covered in the tan dust of the California high desert. It’s the same spirit that my GTI has, though mine has literally come back from the dead.
These two Dubbers have more in common than anyone would think. I wonder what they’re talking about.
- Watch Peter Nelson participate in Land Rover’s Trophy Competition driving all-new Defenders in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.
- Why drift fans are mourning Japan’s Ebisu Minami drift circuit.
- It’s a major deal that iRacing put a factory-supported Mercedes F1 car into its simulator, and Chris Rosales tested it out.
- If you weren’t able to check out Autopia 2099, we attended the EV car show and took a bunch of photos.
- Find out why downgrading from coilovers back to conventional suspension can be the right move for the right situation.
