A new kit from Rye Field is announced.
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/new-type87-volkswagen
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/new-type87-volkswagen
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Looks like their 82E kit but the rubber tires and open roof. The 87 should be a 4x4.
Was their actually a 87 in production? I’ve only seen one pic.
It was a “kit-bash”:
" The Volkswagen Typ 87, also known as the Kommandeurswagen, is a World War II, four-wheel-drive version of the Volkswagen Beetle.[1] It was produced from 1941 to 1944 by the Volkswagen plant, primarily for high officers of the Wehrmacht (German armed forces).[1] The Wehrmacht classified the Kommandeurswagen as leichter geländegängiger PKW, 4-sitziger, 4-radgetriebener Geländewagen Typ 87.[3] (“light offroad passenger car, four seat, four-wheel drive offroad vehicle Type 87”).
The engine and drive-train, including portal geared wheel hubs, are the same as in the Volkswagen Typ 166 Schwimmwagen amphibious vehicle.[1] 564 units of the Kommandeurswagen were produced;[4] in November 1946,[5] the Volkswagen plant - by then under British control - produced two more vehicles using spare parts from stores."
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There are very few left with I believe all but one being in museums. That last one was owned by an individual who also owned a Kubelwagen and a Schwimmwagen.
I kind of wish I was that man, at least as cars are concerned.
I built the 82E and it was a very nice kit, though the doors gave me a little resistance.
One version that caught my eye was the Kubelwagen Type 239 “Holgaz”; which had a wood-fired engine on it.
Leadwarrior made a conversion kit for the Tamiya Kybelwagen Type 82.
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EDIT: It was CMK not ICM that did the various military VW variants.
CMK made that and a couple of other conversions quite a while back. They still sell a resin engine in turn-key form that would be great for a repair scene. I was actually thinking of depicting a clutch plate changeout considering I’ve done a few in my time and remember what jolly good fun that was.
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Tamiya makes a nice accesory set that will fit the bill.
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You can use the resin engine, then build up the Tamiya accesories for the bench and assorted tools. I tend to prefer resin sets for engines over kit parts for the reason you point out; more detailed. 
I built the Lead warrior conversion and it was quite nice.
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And I don’t think the kits has the 4x4 parts.
Only pic that I’ve seen of this kit- Type 87 Kommandeurwagen | World War II Wiki | Fandom
" The engine and drive-train, including portal geared wheel hubs, are the same as in the Volkswagen Typ 166 Schwimmwagen amphibious vehicle.[1]"
I’m not saying that the 1/35 kit is or will be produced in the same way 
They’ll probably fake it by just including the additional shifter next to the standard one. Many of the components are hidden inside the shift rod tunnel down the center of the floor pan.
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Their 82E does just that.
Of course it shouldn’t be there.
So it begs thew question… How hard would it be to convert the RFM 82E kit into an 87? Doesn;t look like it would take a lot of work, unless you’re a rivet counter…
You’d have to take a schwimmwagen drivetrain and mount it somehow.
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Drivetrain isn’t really visible though, when viewed on the shelf.
Okay; let’s break it down…
Tamiya Kubelwagen Type82 underside
RFM Type 82E underside (unassembled).
I think it’s very possible. Not a lot of differences between one and the other.
You are showing the kubelwagen, a 82. The RFM kit is a 82E which has the same drivetrain as the 82.