Scout Car

The Dune Buggy is a scrappy, rough terrain vehicle used on the coast by the Resistance. It is also referred to as the 'Scout car', giving a clue as to it's use, it was probably used by individual resistance members to scout enemy movements along the Coast. The Dune Buggy has four wheel drive, disk brakes, independant suspension, and has only one seat. It is powered by a small v8 engine possibly from a salvaged generator located at the rear. It appears to be fueled by propane (a common fuel along with natural gas used for stationary generator sets) with the tank next to the driver's seat. Although not particularly nimble, due to the bias-ply medium duty truck tires. The Buggy is ideal for getting from one place to the next with speed, and is well at home out on the open road. The Dune Buggy seems to have been constructed using scrap metal and other salvaged objects.

"The Buggy sound set was created from a library recording of a 1968 Camaro with stainless steel exhaust pipes and a highly tuned race engine" - Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar

The Dune Buggy is capable of a powerful Turbo boost, which gives it a sudden burst of acceleration. However, the vehicle becomes unstable and difficult to steer for the duration of the boost, so use it with care, see below.

At some point, Eli Vance, a Resistance leader, took the liberty of attaching a Tau Cannon to the front of the Buggy, an experimental 'particle cannon'. It is ideal for clearing obstructions in the path of the vehicle and engaging most enemies. Shortly before Gordon Freeman's arrival at the base where the buggy was housed (Shorepoint), Noriko, a resistance member mounted a SMG ammunition crate on the back.

Half Life 2
After escaping Ravenholm, a terrifying town overrun with headcrab zombies, Gordon Freeman arrives at Shorepoint, a major resistance base which was housing the Dune Buggy. In order to reach Nova Prospekt sooner, Gordon was given the Dune Buggy to take on his journey, with the permission of Leon, the base's leader. The Dune Buggy proved to be a very valuable vehicle for Gordon as he travelled along the coast's Highway 17, and without it, he most likely would not have made it. The last time Gordon saw the Buggy was after the Combine overwhelmed Lighthouse Point; a dropship was seen carrying it away.

Tactics and notes
During the Highway 17 and Sandtraps chapters in Half Life 2, the player must use the Buggy to travel along the Coast, eventually arriving at Lighthouse Point, a resistance base. If the buggy is destroyed (such as by falling off a cliff into the sea below) at any point during these two chapters, the player will be presented with a failure message and will have to resume from the last savegame.

The turbo feature on the buggy gives it a huge temporary speed boost, and is required for some jumps, however, be aware that it makes steering almost impossible and makes controlling or stopping the buggy a challenge. Only use it in open, straight areas or when climbing a steep hill.