That sounds like an easy exercise to replace the two-stroke by a four-stroke engine to be created under license. No way. First, the clutch and transmission are taken over and then the complete front-wheel drive. The unprecedented radiator needs an air intake, which requires a different front panel.

On the occasion you adapt the hood, which is now made of sheet metal and no longer of plastic. The tank can not stay in the engine compartment for lack of space, moves behind the rear axle under the luggage compartment, a not exactly safe location. For this purpose, a complete production for the new tank including seam welding is due. In the middle of the rear right fender now emblazoned a gas cap.

With the drive shafts the McPherson struts have been taken over from the VW Polo, which makes a recording and reinforcement on the inner front fenders necessary. Good that the Trabant now finally gets front disc brakes. But there the rear brake must be adapted, because two different rims would never accept buyers of normal cars.

Even the speedometer to 120 km/h is no longer enough and an indication of the coolant temperature would be helpful, so equal to a modified dashboard with additional switch, because there are new rear taillights with rear fog and reverse lighting added. And to make the new Trabi a little more modern, plastic abutment surfaces are added.

And who should buy the car now, where just with the start of mass production the wall falls? At first almost 20,000 eastern DM and later still more expensive than a Polo for half in West Mark? This can load a lot more, is more aerodynamic and does not have such a medieval body without crash zones and still without rear seat belts. Even the very small wheelbase still stems unchanged from the year 1958. 07/18