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Bonneville Salt Flats has been the venue for countless land speed record attempts, and it seems that no vehicle is safe from the hands of speed-crazed daredevils, not even the Volkswagen Beetle. Forget the typical flowers-and-rainbows image, this is Herbie gone feral. The actual recorded speed was 205.122mph over a flying mile, equivalent to 330km/h over 1.61km in new money. Madness when you think about it!
Of course, this isn't any standard Beetle. THR Manufacturing of California was entrusted with modifying the car in accordance with Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) G/BGC rules, and a key factor was the extraction of 543hp from the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. This was achieved by fitting new cams and turbo, modifying the head for better breathing and uprating the rods and pistons to cope with the increased stresses. Top speed runs place enormous loads on engines, so it's a testament to the strength of the EA888 motor that it managed to not blow itself to pieces despite the forces involved in pushing a Beetle through the air at 330km/h.
Special tyres and rims, lower suspension and a limited-slip differential were also fitted, along with the requisite rollcage, racing seat and harness and a plumbed-in fire extinguisher system. Two parachutes even found their way onto the rear of the car, but don't expect to see these on a Volkswagen options list anytime soon...
Preston Lerner of Automobile mag was entrusted with performing the record attempt during the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association 2016 World of Speed event, stating: '' Exceeding 200mph (322km/h) in the Beetle LSR was a serious thrill. We had enough power to go even faster if the salt hadn't been so sketchy. But seeing 208mph (334.7km/h) briefly on the digital readout was an experience I'll never forget."