We’ve been covering Volkswagen’s return to the microbus, the ID. Buzz, with great interest, but we didn’t expect to see a pair of them show up at this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California.

Through a partnership with Volkswagen and Disney, a pair of custom ID. Buzz buses were prepared for the celebration-- one created to honor the return of a titular character in the new Obi-Wan series; the other, paying homage to another returning character, Darth Vader. Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, attended the event as both actor and brand ambassador. 

Obi-Wan’s bus is based on the passenger model and features a lighter color selection: beige to represent the character’s tunic and blue hues to match his lightsaber-- including some custom underbody lightning. The shiny chrome bits are a more general tribute to the flashy spaceships and droids of the Star Wars universe. The custom 21-inch wheels feature special wheel caps bearing the crest of the Jedi Order, and both models are labeled with special badging: “ID. Buzz” spelled out in “Aurebesh,” the classic Star Wars font.

Vader’s VW, based on the cargo model, is the direct opposite: shades of black in various finishes contrasted by red hues along the bodywork and windows, obviously representing the Sith’s suit and lightsaber. The wheels on this model bear the Empire’s insignia and follow a different color scheme, but do follow the same 21-inch design.

A surprise to be sure, but a welcomed one; this appearance serves as a step in Volkswagen’s “more emotional approach” to advertising their brand and products. While these two one-offs won’t be shuttling Star Tours any time soon, they do help maintain hype for the all-electric bus which, while currently available for order in Europe, won’t come stateside until 2024.