Dakodok: The Wild VW Dakota-Beetle Hybrid from Indonesia

Unique Breed - The name is unique and immediately prompts the question: What is this? It's one of the standout automotive creations by Indonesian car builder Denny Kusumah. This is Dakodok—a custom hybrid of the Volkswagen Type 2 (known in Indonesia as the VW Dakota) and the iconic Volkswagen Beetle, locally nicknamed the VW Kodok. And that’s exactly where the name Dakodok comes from.

The Dakodok is a 'cross-breeding' result custom car between VW Dakota and VW Kodok built by Indonesian car builder Denny Kusumah. (Picture from: Era.id)

As quoted from AirCooledSyndicate, the creator shared that his inspiration for Dakodok came from a unique custom toy he saw at the 2016 Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show in Japan. The toy featured two interchangeable parts: a VW Split Bus and a VW Split Bug. But after returning from Japan, the toy ended up forgotten—until the idea resurfaced later as a real-life build. 

The Dakodok made by an Indonesia auto builder named Denny Kusumah will be made into one of Hot Wheels Legend Tour diecast series models. (Picture from: Kompas)

When Denny Kusumah set out to build a custom VW for one of Indonesia’s VW shows, the toy idea came back to him—and this time, he brought it to life. He began a unique modification process by cutting the VW Beetle at the B-pillar, removing the entire front section and keeping only the rear half, from the B-pillar backward.

The Dakodok's door has extreme changes, by adopting the suicide door types with no handle, so to open the door from the outside, you must use a remote system key that will open it automatically. (Picture from: TheGasPol)

Interestingly, this crossbreeding process didn’t involve an original VW Dakota. So, where did the Dakota’s front end come from? Denny built it himself—from the front roof section to the iconic face and nose, complete with the signature split windshield. 

The Dakodok has an extreme looks by adopting from the Volkswagen Type-2 with its distinctive split windshield. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

The same approach was applied to the chassis. The rear half of the VW Beetle’s chassis was retained, while the front section was custom-built to match the proportions of the VW Dakota’s face. This is where the builder’s true craftsmanship comes in—carefully calculating the length and structural integrity needed to seamlessly connect the new front chassis to the Beetle’s original rear section. 

The Dakodok has extreme looks of crossbreeding between VW Beetle from the B-pillar to the rear and VW Dakota in front. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

Another challenge was matching the large front end of the VW Dakota with the much smaller rear of the VW Beetle. To make it work, the roof, doors, and front section had to be custom-built with entirely new dimensions. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the Dakota’s front end is actually smaller than the original—scaled down to match the proportions of the Beetle’s tail. 

The Dakodok’s doors also underwent extreme modifications, adopting a suicide-door style. Uniquely, they have no exterior handles—so to open them from the outside, you need a remote key system that triggers the doors to open automatically.

The Dakodok's legs are installed adjusters so that the car looks low and pinned with 17-inches Iron Cross alloy wheels wrapped in 205/40 Achilles tires. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

On the other exterior, the fender looks wider than the usual VW Beetle and the fender cover is added. On the exterior, the fenders are noticeably wider than those of a typical VW Beetle, with additional fender flares added to visually balance the proportions with the VW Dakota front end. The rear window frame was also modified, replacing the large 1962 Beetle glass with a smaller window—sourced either from a VW Dakota or an earlier Beetle model. Attention to detail continues with the rear hood, which features a classic W-shape design, commonly found on 1950s VW Beetles. 

The Dakodok's cabin is filled with the dashboard panels follow the original VW Dakota coupled with two 'Jump Seat' type custom seats made of aluminum alloy. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

As for the interior, the dashboard design follows the original VW Dakota, paired with two custom-made aluminum alloy jump seats. At the rear, space was too limited to install a standard VW gas tank, so the builder fitted a custom-sized fuel tank in place of the rear seat.

At the rear, due to the narrow space, it was not possible to place VW's real gas tank, so the automaker put sufficient custom gas tank in the position of rear seat. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

The suspension setup features adjusters that allow the car to sit low, enhancing its aggressive stance. It rides on 17-inch Iron Cross alloy wheels, wrapped in 205/40 Achilles tires, giving it a bold yet balanced look. Given the compact proportions of the Dakodok, the drivetrain remains true to its roots—it still uses the original 1200cc VW Beetle engine, paired with the factory Beetle transmission. This setup maintains the car’s classic mechanical character while supporting its unique body transformation. 

The Dakodok still uses the original VW Beetle 1200 drivetrain which is connected to the original Beetle transmission as well. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

For the finishing touch, the Dakodok was painted in a striking red-and-white color scheme, symbolizing the Indonesian flag. Given the complexity of the build, the project demanded an extraordinary level of dedication. The builder worked meticulously in his Bandung workshop over the course of six years—from 2016 to 2022—to bring this one-of-a-kind creation to life. 

After its completion, the Dakodok was entered into several custom car competitions both locally and internationally. It went on to earn multiple prestigious awards, including 1st place at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour Indonesia 2022, and 1st place in the Hot Wheels Fan Favorite Asia Pacific, organized by World Hot Wheels Legend. 

The Dakodok's rear section also follows the car's year, namely with the W-shaped hood that was commonly used on the VW Beetle of the 1950s. (Picture from: AirCooledSyndicate)

It was also selected as one of the Top 10 Finalists in the Hot Wheels Legends Global Grand Final, held virtually in the U.S. on November 12, 2022. As a result, the Dakodok—built by an Indonesian car builder—is set to be produced as part of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour 1:64 scale diecast series. *** [EKA [31052023] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AIRCOOLEDSYNDICATE | MEDIA INDONESIA | ERA.ID | THEGASPOL | KOMPAS | WARTA EKONOMI | REPUBLIKA ]

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