It didn't take long to notice. The loud roar of the engine. The squealing of the tires. The orange cage whizzing by only inches off the ground. It's just about the coolest car you'll ever see. I'd wager you're immune to jealousy if you avoid that off-putting green shade of envy.
"That's me. The crotchety old man with a cool toy," jokes the owner.
The car is called a Sandrail, and on a beautiful day in the Triangle, you can find one in sitting a Southpoint Automall parking lot. The owner is Lonnie Renfro, a service advisor for Mercedes-Benz of Durham.
The body of a Sandrail is tubular space frame chassis that works as an integrated roll cage. The engines are often lightweight and air-cooled, similar to one's found in a VW Beetle.
A life-long dream of Renfro's, the Sandrail started to become tangible when he noticed an old Volkswagon in the midst of a construction site. After a brief inquiry into the status of the vehicle, Renfro had the vehicle towed to his home and began working on what would be a four-year project.
Typically Sandrails are used for beach driving, but Lonnie doesn't allow his anywhere near the sand. He keeps it on the road and only puts about three thousand miles on it a year.
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