Jay Leno has driven everything from priceless classics to modern hypercars, yet sometimes the simplest machines produce the biggest smiles. His latest encounter with a Baja Bug is a perfect example.
This particular Volkswagen doesn’t need four-digit horsepower or a seven-figure price tag to entertain. After throwing it around in the dirt, Leno praised how effortlessly the little off-roader handled deep bumps and discovered that sideways fun comes naturally.
At one point, things got lively enough for Leno to exclaim that he had “almost rolled it.” That didn’t seem to dampen his enthusiasm, and he later pointed out that unlike many modern performance cars, the Baja Bug can be genuinely entertaining at just 25 mph.
The car appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage alongside Rod Emory, whose father, Gary Emory, is credited by the family with creating the original Baja Bug in 1967. The yellow car Leno drove isn’t that original, however, but a family-built tribute with a particularly interesting story.
Recreating The Original Baja Bug
Gary Emory’s idea began with a damaged 1957 oval-window Beetle he acquired in a motorcycle trade around 1966. Working with his father, Neil, and brother Don at Chick Iverson Volkswagen-Porsche, he transformed it into an off-road-oriented Beetle.
The original used extensively modified steel bodywork rather than the fiberglass panels that would later become synonymous with Baja Bugs. Gary initially called his creation the “Bobbed Beetle,” before the Baja Bug name emerged through magazine coverage.
Unfortunately, the original eventually met a rough end after being passed down within the family. It was rolled and totaled, leaving the Emory family without the car that had started the story.
Years later, Rod and Gary began collecting parts to recreate it. Gary died in August 2025 before the project was completed, so the family finished the tribute in his honor, with Don Emory — now 80 — painting it the same Chrome Yellow he had applied to the original in 1967.
This One Has A Lot More Power
The tribute isn’t an exact mechanical recreation. Rod explained that his father had always said he would use independent rear suspension and a bigger engine if he ever built the car again, so that’s exactly what the family did.
Sitting out back is a FAT Performance-built 2,650cc Type 4 engine derived from the Porsche 914/VW Type 4 architecture. It produces roughly 190 horsepower in a car weighing around 1,800 pounds, giving the lightweight Beetle plenty of enthusiasm in the dirt.
That is a massive jump from the relatively modest power of a typical period Volkswagen. Beefier rear trailing arms, independent rear suspension, and the Baja Bug’s familiar raised stance help put it to use away from pavement.
Leno Quickly Got The Idea
Once behind the wheel, Leno wasted little time sliding the Beetle around. He praised its ability to soak up deep bumps and called Volkswagen’s original design brilliant for the sheer variety of machines ultimately built around its platform.
That adaptability helped Baja Bugs become a fixture of Southern California car culture. Fiberglass conversion kits eventually made the recipe accessible to owners who wanted to chop up inexpensive Beetles and head for the dirt.
Leno’s verdict might be the best explanation for why the formula still works nearly six decades later. Modern cars may require serious speed before they feel exciting; this little Volkswagen had him laughing at 25 mph. Nearly rolling it was apparently just part of the fun.