Star Wars is the entertainment franchise that keeps on giving. Its latest iteration is called Obi-Wan Kenobi, a multi-episode series streaming now on Disney+. To celebrate its release, Volkswagen has teamed with LucasFilm to create two one-off show cars based on the ID. Buzz. One is known as the Dark Side, in honor of Darth Vader. It uses an ID. Buzz cargo van finished in two shades of black with red accents inspired by the Dark Knight’s uniform and light saber. Its wheels and rear windows proudly wear the logo of the Empire.
Courtesy of Volkswagen
The perennial tension between good and evil means if there is a Dark Side edition, there must be a Light Side edition as well, and there is. Based on the passenger version of the ID. Buzz, it is finished in a shade of light beige that echoes Obi-wan Kenobi’s tunic, and the upper part of its body features chrome trim pieces that are inspired by ships and droids. The blue accents represent the character’s light saber, and the logos of the Rebel Alliance appear on the wheels and on the rear side windows.
Courtesy of Volkswagen
The finishing touch is on the hatch: the “ID. Buzz” script is written in the Aurebesh font. According to Wookieepedia, Aurebesh is a writing system used to transcribe Galactic Basic Standard, the most spoken language in the galaxy. In the Outer Rim Territories, Aurebesh was sometimes used alongside another alphabet known as Outer Rim Basic.
Courtesy of Volkswagen
The ID.Buzz was used in a promotional video earlier this month when Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-wan Kenobi in the new series, drove off in one while R2D2 and C3PO looked on. Both vans are one-off models, and nothing suggests a Star Wars–inspired appearance package will be offered from the factory, more’s the pity. These two graphics packages could be very popular, particularly in the US, where interest in the ID.Buzz is strong.
Back in March, VOA head Scott Keough hinted Volkswagen might be considering building it in the US. “Demand is through the roof, we might need to act accordingly. As you know, the ID. Buzz will be manufactured at our plant in Hannover, Germany, and there’s no announcement regarding the localization of that vehicle. However, there could be an opportunity if demand is beyond what Hannover can deliver.”
The scuttlebutt around the CleanTechnica clubhouse is that we hope demand for the ID. Buzz far exceeds Volkswagen’s wildest dreams.
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