Older cars are more than just show vehicles. Little do people realize what they are capable of. The Volkswagen Beetle, most often referred to as the "Bug", is simply seen as an economy car. It does not look fancy, nor drive like a supercar. Yet, it is capable of some pretty fancy tricks.

Volkswagen Beetles was known for rally-racing in its prime. The scrappy, inexpensive, and somewhat ugly car was much-loved among those who loved racing for fun. With a few alterations under the bonnet and in the engine, the car seemed to be capable of more than just top speeds.

Nobody had ever seen its two front wheels lift off of the floor until Joel Mohr got in.

The Volkswagen Bug Wheelie In Action

Via: Road & Track

It is always fun to tinker with cars and make them do something out of the ordinary. Yet, nobody believed it could happen to a sleepy Volkswagen bug. The bug that Joel drove was worked on a lot to get it to this standard. The '64 Beetle remained with the same chassis but a few things were added.

The crucial part to add was the 3-part step header, which is a specific tool of NASCAR technology. A top-notch header can improve the energy the exhaust outputs as well as change how the car moves.

With this, Joel also ensured the Beetle was running on 110 octane fuel. Higher octane fuel improves the efficiency of the fuel and can add more resistance to the car. More resistance means greater mobility and impressive moves, like the wheelie.

Other additions to the '64 Beetle included new and improved CBU performance heads, flange crank, and improved wedge ports. All of which added to the car's ability to pop a wheelie. All of the additional and improved parts caused the car to weigh much less, which is ideal when you want to lift the car off of the ground. After renovating the car, the '64 Beetle weighed in at 1,250 pounds which is a 500-pound reduction to the standard model.

The additional parts clearly needed to be added to make Joel's bug wheelie dream come true. The surprises do not stop at wheelies when it comes to the bug model. The car managed to pull a few more stories out of its bonnet.

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More Unexpected Stories About The Volkswagen Bug

Via: Mohr Performance

The Beetle has more capabilities than just a wheelie can you believe it. From featuring in Hollywood movies to reaching speeds nobody could ever imagine, let's see what other features the bug is capable of.

Dan Gurney was a famous American racing car driver of the 50s. In his time racing, his most loved and fastest car was his Porsche 550 Spyder. After discovering his love for the Beetle, Gurney decided he wanted to make it go faster around a circuit than his Porsche. It sounds ludicrous but he managed to pull it off. A year after renovating the Beetle, Gurney raced it and won many races.

The Beetle was much loved during its early years. So much so that a film was created based on its racing abilities. "Herbie" was a Walt Disney film released in 1969 to showcase what a scrappy VW could achieve on a race track. The model in the film was referred to as Herbie or 53. It was a new 1963 model which won the production teams' hearts. After being fitted with a Porsche engine, Herbie managed to reach speeds of up to 115mph in fourth gear.

Throughout Herbie, the film, the Volkswagen Beetle underwent numerous stunts and races. The cast and production team were blown away by the scrappy car's capabilities, especially when it came to speed.

The Beetle was the first-ever car to sell 20 million units. Since its release, it has featured in many other films from The Shining to James Bond's. Most film crews insisted on featuring a Beetle as opposed to using the inexpensive car as the only choice. Seriously, what can't this car do?

The original model of the Volkswagen Beetle, made in 1925, was not called the Beetle or the bug. In fact, it was referred to as the Volkswagen Type 1. How glad are we that it got renamed. Bug wheelie sounds way more exciting.

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The build of the Volkswagen Beetle was never to perform wheelies or any type of stunt. Yet,  Joel really wanted to show off the abilities of the car. In which, he certainly succeeded. It may have taken more than one attempt to lift the front wheels off the ground simultaneously but when they did, it sure was a record-breaker for Volkswagen.

NEXT: Sleepy Super Beetle Gets Subaru Turbo Power