Can anyone pass on any advice on how to carve or create a cake similar to this? I have a customer who wants a cake to look like an 'old junk car' and she sent me a pic of a Beetle from Pink Cake Box (not the pic below), and I know it's way over my head, but the one I attached seems a little more basic. I have never done a carved cake, can a carving beginner do this?

You could use the Wilton 3d car cake pan. I guess tht shld work...

theres been a couple of posts with instructions for doing a lightning mcqueen, with pictures. its a resonably similar shape, a beetle is just mroe humped, so that might help.
id break it down into shapes, put rectangles on the bottom, squares on top, and round it off.
xx

I'm glad you posted this, I've been thinking about making a VW cake because my fiance is obssessed with VW. Best of luck with your cake!

Here's a link to the Lightning McQueen tutorial http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6325282.html#6325282. You can just look at the structure part of it. I think you'll do great at carving that cake! I don't think it looks too difficult for a beginner. I assume you would just carve the body shape, use biscuits covered in fondant for the wheels and the wheel cover things just look like fondant to me? Just my guess.

I've done a VW Beetle by using the Wilton 3D car pan. Not difficult, and I do NOT carve cakes.

Debbie Browns book Naughty cakes, a perfect Beetle! I can send it to you if you give me your mailadress.

Awesome instructions--Thanks for sharing

Oh my thanks for sharing these.

I did a beetle bug. It's in my pics and I think I wrote some instructions.
It was one of my first carved cakes,so if I did it I'm sure you can!!!

Wow, thank you all sooo much!

leahs, I'd love to see yours if you have a pic!
ncbert, you can believe yours was one of the ones I was eyeballing when I did my search, it's great!
Inga, thank you so much!
Melnick, I greatly appreciate pointing me (us) back to thet tutorial, I had completely forgotten about it!