Despite its size, the 1:87 scale model of the VW ID. Buzz drives using an electric motor and even features functional lights
- VW revealed a tiny ID. Buzz camper now part of Miniatur Wunderland’s model collection.
- The 1:87 scale van drives through the miniature city while towing a detailed caravan.
- Over 200 hours of work went into building the electric-powered and self-charging model.
Even at 1:87 scale, Volkswagen’s obsession with campers is alive and well. From the iconic T1 to the modern, all-electric ID. Buzz, the brand has spent decades turning road trips into a lifestyle, now it’s shrinking that ambition into something you can lose in your sock drawer. The latest creation inspired by the ID. Buzz is a fully functional scale model cruising through Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland, tiny caravan in tow.
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Creating a micro-camper that small is tricky enough, but this one doesn’t just sit pretty on a shelf. It drives. It lights up. It does everything you’d expect from a real EV, just in a version small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. After nearly 200 hours of intricate work, the miniature Buzz finally hit the road, well, track actually, for its first voyage.
Engineering, in Extra Small
The mini caravan and roof rack aren’t just there to look cute. They’re crucial for stashing all the mechanical components that couldn’t be jammed inside the scale ID. Buzz itself. Still, the model stays impressively faithful to the real thing, right down to its cheerful yellow and white color scheme.
Power comes from a microscopic electric motor running on a 4-volt system. And because even tiny vehicles need to recharge, the model drives itself to a custom charging station when the battery runs low. It tops up in 30 minutes, using its side mirrors as charging connectors, which is exactly the kind of clever over-engineering you’d expect from a place called Miniatur Wunderland.
Volkswagen
According to Volkswagen, this is the smallest moving vehicle in Knuffingen’s fully automated road traffic network, and the only one hauling a camper. The fictional city is part of Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland, Germany’s most popular tourist attraction, which features over 1,200 trains and 16 kilometers (10 miles) of painstakingly detailed track and scenery.
And yes, VW is well-represented beyond the Buzz. One of the model trains is stuffed with 1:87 scale Polo hatchbacks, a nod to the car’s 50th anniversary.
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The tiny minivan was modeled after the ID. Buzz of #BULLILOVEstories that has covered over 125,000 km (77,671 miles) through 41 countries. Presenter Christian Schluter has spent more than 220 nights in the vehicle, as he travels around the world collecting stories about the iconic VW Bus.
Interestingly, VW is keeping track of the distance traveled by the tiny ID. Buzz camper in Miniature Wunderland, converting it to scale to see if it surpasses the mileage of the original. Furthermore, the company has hidden another miniature ID. Buzz within the facilities in Hamburg, as an Easter Egg for visitors.